'■!0V 12 1884 



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THE 



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OSOPHY, 






BY 



/ 



Albert W. Paine, 

Counselor at Law, 
BANGOR, ME. 






* C iPY!IIIH; 



NOV- ?2 18£ 




BANGOR, ME. 
O. F. KNOWLEri & CO., PRINTERS. 
1884. 






1/ 

Copyright, 1884, 
By ALBERT W. PAINE. 



PREFACE. 

In submitting the following essay to the reading 
public, the writer is fully aware of the general in- 
credulity with which the views expressed will be 
met and entertained. Mankind are generally so 
unaccustomed to believe anything which is not sus- 
ceptible to their senses, that all else is readily rejected 
as incredible and unworthy of attention. Then too, 
it has ever been an especial characteristic of man 
to be slow to believe any new sentiment or invention, 
varying materially from any former developments. 
So that any new truth has ever been obliged to win 
its way to general acceptance only by severe strug- 
gles against a hostility proportionate in degree to its 
importance. Striking instances of this kind will be 
found cited in the following pages. So true has 
this ever been the case, as writes a modern author, 
"the man who admits the possibility of the truth" 
as developed by the recent experience of mankind, 
"runs the risk of being regarded as visionary." 



4 

The general sentiment too, of mankind, respecting 
the nature of spirit and spirit life and their possi- 
bilities is a constant barrier against all investigations 
into the subject. Regarded as a mere myth, or 
vivifying principle alone, without form or essence 
and entirely unsubstantial, the soul is necessarily 
treated as something of which no positive action can 
be predicated. Hence every effort to define its 
character and laws of action is necessarily met with 
suspicion and disbelief and made subject to ridicule 
and contempt. Such the writer anticipates will be 
the fate of the first presentation of the views offered 
in the following essay. But, to use the language of 
another, u it is not wise to allow a natural feeling of 
incredulity to become a barrier to a possible exten- 
sion of knowledge." 

Impressed with the importance of the subject, 
after years of careful and impartial investigation, 
the writer does not feel justified in withholding the 
result of his work for any of the reasons above 
expressed, but ventures to present the same to the 
candid consideration of the public, simply asking to 
be heard before he is condemned. 



I2STIDEX. 



PART I. 

Mental Phenomena 7 

Animal Magnetism 72 

Apparitions 73 

Clairvoyance 43 

Coincidences , 60 

Conjuration 69 

Conscience . , 97 

Death 19—21 

Dreams 31 

Enchantment 69 

Hypnotism 55 — 68 

Ideas 88 

Imagination , 92 

Impressions 60 

Incidents of Life , 78 

Insanity 36—113 

Inspiration 102 

Instinct 155 

Life, its Source 21 

Man, his Nature. 9 

Mesmerism 72 

Mind, the 84 

Mind-reading 56 

Necromancy 69 

New Theory, the 19 

Our Plan 26 

Physical Manifestations of Spirit Power 82 

Premonitions 60 

Present Theory not a New One , 25 

Reason 100 



Soul, the , ' 84 

Spiritual World, Locality of 15 

Space in Spirit Life 24 

Spectral Sights 73 

Spiritualism 43 

Spirit Power 82 

Summary 104 

Telepathy 65 

Thoughts , 88 

Thought-transference 56 

Visions 73 

Warnings 60 

Wraiths 73 



O- 



PART II. 

Physical and Natural Phenomena ioS 

Crime 115 

Disease 118 

Education 132 

Electricity . . 125 

Health 118 

Insanity, Treatment of , 113 

Law of Life 138 

Its Application 151 

Its Operation 148 

Its Principle of Order , . . . . 143 

Its Principle of Use 145 



PART I. 

MENTAL PHENOMENA. 

The increasing interest every where manifested 
in matters of a metaphysical character, induces the 
writer to present the following views upon the all 
important subject of man's mental and spiritual 
nature. 

In discussions and treatises upon the various themes 
pertaining to man's being, authors and writers have 
been accustomed to regard him as made up of differ- 
ent and entirely distinct natures, independent, in a 
great measure, of each other, and having little or no 
mutual connection. Thus his physical has been 
regarded as diverse from his mental, his spiritual 
as independent of his natural, and his future after 
death as having nothing to do with his mortal 
present, save only perhaps in a theological view. 



8 The New PhilosofJiy. 

Natural philosophy has thus come to treat man as 
a human being of this world's concern alone, while 
mental philosophy, equally limited in its scope, has 
regarded him as an existence possessed of life on 
this earth merely, independent of all other relation- 
ship. To theology has been left all the remaining 
part of the discussion relative to his nature and 
existence, — and this, too, has been mainly confined to 
the question of his future well being for happiness 
or its opposite. 

Thus the other side of man's nature or life, his 
future, has been almost entirely ignored as a proper 
subject of metaphysical consideration, and treated 
as outside of the true limits of scientific research, 
and beyond the reach of the human intellect and 
reason. Science and theology have thus come to 
be independent schools of education, occupying 
different fields of thought and investigation, and 
not unfrequently those of a nature antagonistic to 
each other. According as a man's earthly or 
spiritual part is addressed, his present or future life 
discussed, he is viewed from entirely different stand- 
points of observation and reasoning. And not only 
is this the case, but according as he is seen from a 
philosophical or theological point of view, he is 



The JVeiv Philosophy. 9 

regarded and treated as possessed of two altogether 
different and independent natures, the characteris- 
tics of which are entirely diverse from each other, 
subject to entirely different laws of action and rules 
of life, and having in view entirely different objects 
of existence, each bound to its separate end and 
goal. 

Man, however, is an unit of existence, having but 
one nature, one being, and one life. Whether 
viewed as an inhabitant of this world or by antici- 
pation that of another, as here a natural existence 
or a spiritual one, he is all the while and ever one 
and the same man. His physical and mental, his 
scientific and theological characteristics, are but so 
many different phases of the one same object, and 
no discussion of either is perfect, without a due rec- 
ognition and understanding of his whole composi- 
tion. These various phases are in no essential re- 
spect different in character from those others which 
regard the party as a man of this world in the vari- 
ous relations of business, religion, politics and so- 
cial life, — or as we see him in the different periods 
of infancy, youth, manhood and old age, — or as an 
inhabitant, in different periods of life, of the differ- 
ent quarters of the globe. In all these states and 



io The New Philosophy. 

conditions he is ever one and the same individual, 
possessed of the same mind, the same constitution, 
with the same prevailing loves and tendencies, 
and the same general characteristics, though, to a 
greater or less extent perhaps, modified in his prog- 
ress. As he passes from one state or place to the 
other, he carries with him his preceding, but per- 
haps, modified character, and enters the new field 
of activity and employment with his former acquire- 
ments and entanglements still clinging to his life. 
His change at death, so called, is simply one step 
further on in his progress, in the same line too, that 
he had inaugurated or practiced before, a change as 
natural and as inevitable as those which had attended 
him in the various periods from infancy to old age. 
The soul, or spirit, which tenanted his body in this 
world, is the same identically with that which sur- 
vives beyond, and how can there be any material 
change effected by the mere passage across the line 
of separation ? The future thus of any one across 
that line, may be as correctly judged from his qual- 
ities here, as his manhood in this world may be from 
his youthful promise. What that promise may ulti- 
mately effect or perfect in its progress is, in both 



The New Philosophy, n 

cases, equally a matter of doubt and future deter- 
mination. 

Man being thus an unit of existence through all 
stages of his one life to eternity, it follows, that in 
all discussions as to his nature, and in all investiga- 
tions, he should be so regarded, in order to arrive 
at a correct conclusion on any subject, whether it be 
one of a physical or metaphysical kind, of a scien- 
tific or theological nature, having in view a mere 
worldly conclusion or one of the future life. 

And just here has been the great mistake ever 
committed by mankind in all the infinite number of 
discussions and investigations, which, in all ages, 
have involved the explanation of the manifold phe- 
nomena, which characterize the life of man in this 
world, both of a physical and mental nature. And 
to the same mistake, is to be ascribed the diverse 
and antagonizing conclusions arrived at in all mat- 
ters of a scientific kind, involving metaphysical facts, 
causes and effects. The mistake alluded to is that 
the future of man's existence has been ignored in 
all such cases, and the new world of his inhabitancy 
entirely disregarded, as a factor, entering into the 
explanation of the natural or mental theme of dis- 
cussion. 



4 2 The New Philosophy* 

As one result of this erroneous view of man's 
nature, have grown up the many strange doctrines 
both in theology and science, especially in the expla- 
nation, or rather in the want of all explanation, of 
all those mental phenomena which have so charac- 
terized the history of the world in all ages past and 
present. To such an extent has this been the case, 
that almost every fact of mental philosophy, every 
phenomenon of a metaphysical kind, is now entirely 
without explanation and involved in as thick dark- 
ness as in the darkest days of human experience. 
Those most common of all mental occurrences, our 
nightly dreams, are at this day as utterly unex- 
plained and inexplicable, by any code of mental 
philosophy extant, as are the deepest mysteries of 
human history. The philosophy of the day casts 
not a ray of light upon their cause or the reason of 
their existence, the utmost that scholars and teach- 
ers have been able thus far to accomplish, being to 
make themselves acquainted with the laws which 
generally govern their course or accompany their 
occurrence. And so it is with reference to almost 
every fact of mental science, the cause being appar- 
ently hidden and beyond the reach of the human 
intellect and research. 



The New) Philosophy. 13 

Such being the case, one is naturally inclined to 
an investigation of the matter, to seek out the causes 
of the phenomena and the laws by which they are 
governed. The reason of the alleged ignorance, 
plainly lies in the fact that nothing is recognized 
as known respecting the mind, or the mental part 
of man's composition, which is underneath, or 
more properly, above what we may call its natural 
plane. In all matters of philosophy, the mental 
part of man is treated the same as his physical, both 
as having a common base or plane of life and activ- 
ity, and alike subject to natural laws, diverse it may 
be in some respects from each other, but governed 
and limited by their common and mutual status or 
character. The mental as well as the natural is 
regarded as a part of the same field, and to a great 
extent, subject to the same rules of cultivation. All 
influences or causes from any other than the 
natural plane of life are consequently, to a great 
extent, ignored and denied. As one result of this 
state of ignorance or unbelief, all power and influ- 
ence of man after his removal by death, is also ig- 
nored, save as his example and teachings may 
remain to instruct and guide his successors. The 
fact that a fellow citizen has passed away, is taken 



14 The New Philosophy. 

as evidence conclusive that all further power over 
human thought and action on his part, has, with his 
body, been consigned to the grave, — and the soul 
or mental part of his nature, if at all existent, has, 
like his body, ceased to have any connection with 
the world, of which his body no longer forms a 
part. Both, as to all worldly matters, are thus treated 
as alike natural, subject alike to merely natural laws 
and to the same simultaneous termination at death. 
This ignorance and its consequences are the di- 
rect and necessary result, and indeed the only one 
which could follow from the general views enter- 
tained by the world and its philosophers, respecting 
the soul of man as it exists in the body, and its fu- 
ture existence after the two cease to be united with 
each other. Regarded as a mere entity, a myth 
rather than a reality, the soul, at least in this life, 
has been held to be merely a vivification of the body, 
rather than any thing of substance and form in itself, 
and hence, like the blaze of the candle, subject to 
be extinguished at death, — utilized it may be after 
death to vivify a new and different body, then to be 
assumed. To such as have had a different and more 
rational view of the substantial nature of the soul, 
an equally difficult enigma has presented itself, in 



The New Philosophy. 15 

the way of its possible influence here, after its sepa- 
ration from the body. 

Locality of the Sftii'itual JVorld. 
The difficulty alluded to is that arising from the 
belief, so universal at the present time, as well as In 
the past, respecting the locality of the soul's future 
home, the place to which as spirits we pass at death 
and in which we spend our eternity. The idea so 
universally prevalent that the spirit world is in some 
far off distance "beyond the stars" makes the other 
proposition a necessary sequence, that he can not 
after death have any influence over human action 
or worldly affairs. The two worlds of man's 
existence, have ever been regarded as separate and 
distinct from each other, as are the different earths 
of the Solar System, and hence necessarily alto- 
gether beyond each others influence and mental con- 
trol. Connected, too, with the same sentiment or 
belief, has existed its kindred doctrine, that the fu- 
ture life of man is entirely independent of his earthly 
or present, except perhaps as theologically held with 
reference to the degree of happiness or misery which 
may result there, from man's life or conduct here. 
All else is ignored and denied. Rare and noble in- 
stances of an opposite belief have existed, teaching 



1 6 The New Philosophy* 

us that as man progresses here in wisdom and good- 
ness, he will there reap the results of his acquire" 
merits by a corresponding elevation of soul and 
preparation for its future employments and uses as 
well as enjoyments. 

But whether the future existence of the soul has 
been believed in or denied, or whatever may have 
been the idea of its quality or locality, it has mat- 
tered not as to all reasoning in connection with facts 
of an intellectual or mental character. In the phil- 
osophy of the day no help has yet been obtained to 
solve any difficulty not otherwise solvable on the nat- 
ural plane, and so far as this has proved unsatis- 
factory, the want has, necessarily, been left to take 
its own course. 

The old ignorance however is passing away and 
a new and more enlightened system of thought and 
belief is taking its place in all matters of a philo- 
sophical as well as theological kind, in connection 
with the theme of our present discussion. Con- 
nected with this advance of thought and sentiment, 
man has come to know and realize that his soul is 
no mere spark or flame, but a substantial essence or 
body, before death as well as afterwards, permeat- 
ing his whole frame and constituting the very es- 



The New Philosophy. 17 

sence of his being — and that the locality of his 
future home after death is in no far off space, 
but directly and intimately in connection with his 
abode here on earth. 

Reason would seem to teach that this must be the 
direct result of Divine or Natural law, consistent 
with what we know of its usual working. As man 
lives here a duplex existence, composed of soul and 
body occupying one and the same space, it would 
seem to follow as an axiom of science, that when 
the latter is dropped, the former would remain. 
Why go hence to some far off region, especially as 
when during the life of the body, the soul made its 
abode here, and nothing is inconsistent with the 
possibility or reasonableness of its so remaining. 

The universal belief in the nature of spirit exist- 
ence readily assents to the doctrine, that the soul is 
in its nature such as not to be clogged by natural or 
physical objects or characteristics, but is independ- 
ent of all the laws of a mere worldly character, and 
that hence space is not an impediment to spiritual 
activity and action. This idea seems implanted in 
every mind, as a principle of belief, a divine truth 
and self evident axiom of thought. By philoso- 
phers and writers in all ages, has this belief been 
3 



iS The New Philosophy. 

inculcated, and by the masses adopted, as the spon- 
taneous and undoubted theory of spirit existence. 
And the evidence of life in every thing of nature, 
bespeaks its nearness to the great source of life itself, 
which is only another mode of statement that the 
world of spirit and life is in closest intimacy with 
that of nature, being within it as the soul is within 
the body. All life is from the same source, all ema- 
nating from the inner world, wherever that world 
may be, and hence the evident necessity that the 
two worlds should be in closest intimacy and con- 
nection, as the respective giver and recipient of the 
same great principle of existence. 

But we are not left to such general reasoning for 
the support of the theory now advanced. On the 
contrary, the world and experience of mankind are 
full of evidence on the subject, going to confirm the 
truth of our statement, and at the same time, afford- 
ing an explanation of the multifarious experience 
and incidents of man's existence here in all matters 
of a mental, metaphysical and spiritual nature. We 
have thus afforded, at the same time, a proof of the 
theory and an explanation of the numerous phenom- 
ena which constantly present themselves to our 
mind for investigation or consideration. 



The New Philosophy. 19 

The New Theory. 
The theory now advanced, is, that man, while an 
inhabitant of this world, is composed or made up 
of two distinct component parts or factors, known 
respectively as soul and body, each of which is com- 
plete in itself and separate from the other, as to con- 
stituent form, but corresponding with the other in 
all essential particulars : — The natural body is per- 
meated by the soul in every minutest part, and 
thence alone has life and activity : — The separation 
of the two from each other, is what is known as 
death, upon the happening of which, the soul as- 
sumes its separate and independent existence, in the 
same form and with the same general characteristics 
as it had in the body, and at once becomes a con- 
scious inhabitant of the spirit world, there to remain 
forever in active employment of a more or less use- 
ful character : — The two worlds, thus every man's 
respective present and future places of abode, are 
in immediate connection with each other, and while 
here, his spirit or soul is at the same time an uncon- 
scious inhabitant of the other state of existence. 

Man is thus a dweller in both worlds at the same 
time, and while here draws from the other world 



2o The New Philosophy. 

his wholelife,and in a great measure, his thoughts and 
impulses to action. And not only is man here, thus, as 
it were, the outbirth of the inner or spiritual world, 
but all nature has its life thence derived, making 
this world a like outbirth of the other, the two cor- 
responding with each other, as do the soul and body 
of man. The two worlds are thus one and the same 
in substance, directly connected with each other, as 
two parts of one machine, like the propelling power 
of the engine connected with the machinery which 
it utilizes— or like the spring and wheels of the 
watch which move the hands on its dial and an- 
nounce to the observer the regular lapse of time. 
As one observes the delicately constructed work, 
which the machine effects while performing the 
most ingenious of human devices, sees nothing of 
the power underneath, or far away, which produces 
the marvelous results, — as he who reads the hour and 
minute of the day on the smooth face of the clock, 
without seeing ought of the delicate work beneath 
which causes such exact motion of the hands, — so it 
is in all things of this world's affairs. These are 
but the results of a spiritual power beneath produc- 
ing its legitimate effects on the earthly plane. So 
far as man is directly affected, this power is ever, 



The New Philosophy. 2 1 

more or less, controlled in its action by his will or 
reason, just as the power of the machine is con- 
trolled by the engineer and the speed and direction 
of the railway train is governed by the conductor. 

The two worlds being thus intimately connected 
with each other, all that takes place at death is simply a 
separation of that which is spiritual from that which 
is natural, when the former or man's spiritual part, 
his soul, becomes a conscious inhabitant of the other 
world, but still maintaining an intimate connection 
with the world it has left. So that at death there 
simply occurs a reversal, as it were, of the state 
which he sustained before. From being a conscious 
inhabitant of this world, he becomes one of the spir- 
itual world, retaining however all the elements of 
character which he was possessor of here, with 
more or less of their distinctive characteristics. 

This theory, as now advanced, necessarily makes 
the spirritual world the great substratum of the nat- 
ural, and thus the underlying cause of life here in 
all its various forms. There is indeed but one source 
of life, whence all living objects have their exist- 
ence. That one life is that of the inner world, flow- 
ing thence into all forms of life here, including the 
human, and all grades below. Disconnection or sep- 



22 The New Philosophy. 

aration from this one sole source of life is death, 
which instantly follows the disruption. 

Man is thus in this world in constant connection 
or in intimate relationship with the inhabitants of 
the other, and at the same time more or less subject 
to their influence. He is consequently "thus con- 
stantly within the aura or sphere of the spiritual 
world and its laws, which like the corresponding 
atmosphere of this world, surrounds and supports 
him, continually contributing to his mental wants 
and demands. Thence come his thoughts and im- 
pressions, his suggestions to duty and all his mental 
exercises. Thence is to him the source of all wis- 
dom and all imaginings. Such being the case, he 
is, as it were, the citizen of two worlds at the same 
time, subject to the laws of both and to their re- 
spective reciprocal influences. 

The world of Nature being thus only the outbirth 
or clothing of the inner or spiritual world, most 
important results must necessarily follow the rela- 
tion thus existing. The man at death does not 
become non-existent or extinct, but simply changes 
the place of his conscious life, with vastly increased 
powers of thought and knowledge, as his field of 
activity and information has widened. Though 



The New Philosophy . 23 

passed beyond the limits of human recognition, he 
has by no means lost his influence and power over 
those, or with those whom he has left behind. By 
silent, yet by most effective means his field of influ- 
ence and association has become widely increased, 
and his power over human thought and action cor- 
respondingly enlarged. The outward world thus 
becomes the constant scene of spiritual develop- 
ment and active work and use. To what extent 
this may be the case, is not the object of this disser- 
tation to define. But that the spirits of the departed, 
of the inner or spiritual world, do thus exercise a 
vastly important influence over the thoughts and 
actions of men here, is fully asserted. Indeed from 
thence, in a measure come all thought and impulses 
to action, all mental activity, all life, the body itself 
having no life and hence no power of thought or 
activity save as these are derived from the inner 
world. As before remarked, the separation of the 
body from this great underlying source of life, this 
is death. Like the disconnected or broken wheel 
of the machine, thus beyond the reach of the 
engine's power, it has no motion and no life. 

This theory thus advanced being admitted, another 
result naturally follows, that man while in the body 



24 The New Philosophy. 

may be admitted te a view of the spiritual world 
and the scenes there transacting. This proposition 
must naturally follow the others already stated. 
The proof of this proposition, and whether such a 
sequence does follow or not, in fact, is a matter of 
further consideration in what follows. 

Space in Spirit Life. 
Preliminary to such enquiry, it may not be im- 
proper here to allude to or repeat a law already 
briefly stated, that from what we know of spirit 
existence and its nature, and in accordance with 
what has been generally taught and believed on that 
subject, spirits are free from the trammels and im- 
pediments of earthly life, such as impede action 
here, and that space with them, as an obstacle to 
free intercourse with each other, ceases to exist. 
And it may be added that the great law of affinity 
must necessarily prevail, bringing into association 
with each other those and such as are of like 
character and disposition and of similar loves and 
proclivities, irrespective of natural space and dis- 
tance. Thus thought and will give presence, hate 
and unlikeness cause separation and absence. 
Family ties and mutual friendships lead thus to 



The New Philosophy. 25 

immediate recognition in the world beyond and 
long separated friends quickly meet in each others 
embrace. 

Present Theory not a New One. 

It is not claimed that the theory now advanced 
is altogether new. It was boldly published by one 
of the world's wisest philosophers more than a cen- 
tury ago, and has been, to a greater or less extent, 
though to a very limited degree, received as the 
correct theory of creation and life. It has not, how- 
ever, as yet been adopted or promulgated, by those 
who have been recognized as teachers of authority, 
either in public, through the press, or in our semi- 
naries of learning. Its original announcement and 
continued consideration have been so uniformly con- 
nected with the theological aspect of the doctrine 
alone, that it has failed to meet recognition as a 
philosophical factor or even as an important system 
in science of any kind. Indeed to such an extent 
has this been the case, that the theory has been ap- 
parently overlooked and disregarded except as a 
factor of theological creeds and discussions. In 
fact, the w r orld has hardly been aware that any such 
idea has ever been advanced as a principle of 



26 The New Philosophy. 

philosophy or science. As a result of all this, no 
work has ever, to the writer's knowledge, been pub- 
lished in explanation of the phenomena in question 
on the grounds now alleged, except only as theolog- 
ically connected. The old ignorance has conse- 
quently prevailed and the new system been ignored, 
so that the darkness of ages past still rests over the 
whole system, leaving still unexplained the underly- 
ing causes of all mental phenomena, including those 
of the most common as well as those of the most 
abnormal kind. 

Our Present Plan. 

Having thus stated the general principles and 
nature of spirit life, its locality and some of the 
laws which control its action, and its connection with 
earthly existence, a more particular application of 
the theory naturally follows. In making this, it is 
to be distinctly understood that we purposely place 
aside all theological views, and avoid all theological 
discussions, leaving these to take-care of themselves. 

It is the sole object of this treatise to present 
the facts now adduced for the single purpose of 
explaining the great laws of Mental Philosophy, 
free from all mere doctrinal and sectarian teach- 



The New Philosophy. 27 

ings and abstractions. But at the same time it 
must follow that so far as the facts and principles 
asserted are true, they must necessarily include all 
true theological doctrines and beliefs, and that the 
latter must conform to the actual status rather than 
govern it. These must serve rather than command. 
The whole forms an unit and so far only as the 
systems of philosophy and theology are consistent 
with each other, as separate or distinct parts of an 
integral whole, so far, and so far only can both be 
true. Any disagreement is proof of error some- 
where. 

It is also assumed, that so far as facts and principles 
of a spiritual nature adduced are applied to the 
satisfactory explanation of natural or physical 
phenomena known to exist, to the same extent they 
serve as proof of the theory advanced. Indeed no 
proof of any theory is so conclusive and convincing 
as that which serves to satisfactorily explain any 
great facts of nature, which are otherwise inexpli- 
cable. It is indeed this kind of evidence alone 
which serves to establish any of the great laws of 
Natural Science, the working of which is too 
distant and beyond the reach of man's intimate 
observation. It is none other than the great law of 



28 The New Philosophy. 

cause and effect, which by its constant and uniform 
action and reaction goes to establish their mutual 
relation. It is in this way alone that we correctly 
judge of the origin and character of all things and 
all events. 

Allusion has already been made to the unsatis- 
factory nature of all explanations of the great facts 
of mental science and philosophy, as exhibited in 
human life, including those of the most common 
recurrence, as well as those of a recondite character, 
which have constantly puzzled both the master and 
the student in the search for the true cause and 
origin thereof. Success has ordinarily attended 
their efforts only to the same extent as the ignorant 
scholar can claim in explaining the theory of the 
time piece, by teaching the fact of the regularity of 
its hands around the dial and the meaning of the 
figures which encircle its face, without a word of 
explanation as to the power which propels the 
hands, much less the cause or law of their regular 
motion. Just so has it been and still is with almost 
every fact of mental science in every day life. It 
is to meet this great want in the philosophy of the 
day that the theory now advanced or supported has 
its claim to importance. 



The New Philosophy. 29 

Impressed with the importance of the subject, 
under this state of things, the writer has been in- 
duced by his own reflections, to present the subject 
in this way as a strictly philosophical theme for 
the public consideration. 

With these preliminary remarks it is proposed to 
speak of some of the more common phenomena of 
Mental Science and to offer an explanation of them 
in the light of the new system. In doing so, it is 
premised that the influence or power of the Spiritual 
world over the Natural, from the relation existing 
between the two as now alleged, is of a two fold 
character in its nature and operation. The general 
aura or sphere of the inner world over the outer or 
external, according to the great law of life pervad- 
ing the universe of both, is necessarily productive 
of an influence corresponding with that which we 
so often witness in this world in matters of business, 
politics or religion, when certain sentiments or doc- 
trines come in to carry away the multitude as by a 
tidal wave of irresistible force. Then there is that 
particular or individual influence of a personal char- 
acter corresponding with that which is so constantly 
taking place here in society and the world at large. 
The influence arising from personal connection 



30 The New Philosophy, 

between those on the two sides of life, here and 
there, correspond with that between the two when 
together in the natural world, or in other words, the 
intercommunication or intercourse between those 
who have passed away and those who remain on 
this earth still continues to a greater or less extent, 
after death, the same as before. To what extent 
and in what manner, this is the case, will be more 
particularly illustrated in what follows. 

And it is further to be noted, that a great and 
universal law pervades and governs the universe of 
both natural and spiritual life, in accordance with 
which the phenomena discussed are produced, the 
individual forces, of which we propose to speak, 
being the agencies by which the alleged results are 
perfected or brought to pass. 



DREAMS. 

Beginning with this most common of all mental 
phenomena, our nightly dreams, it is to be remarked 
that they are very readily explainable in accordance 
with the theory now advanced. Philosophy has 
thus far been satisfied with an exposition of the laws 
usually governing the dream or attendant upon its 
occurrence, such as that it ordinarily pursues the 
course of thought or business which had engaged 
the mind previous to the moment of sleep, or other 
similar characteristics. But here it is often balked 
by the fact that the dream finds no explanation, to 
even this limited extent, from any other fact or 
thought in the dreamer's whole experience. And 
what is still worse for the theory, the dream is often 
found intimately connected with a future event or 
one happening contemporaneously at a great dis- 
tance away, in mid ocean in may be, of which the 
dreamer could have possibly had no knowledge on 
going to sleep, but which subsequent information 



32 The New Philosophy. 

verifies. This common experience not only over- 
rides the rule or explanation offered, but proves it 
altogether untrue and absurd. 

To refer the cause of the dream, as has been 
usually done, to the great underlying principle of 
the imagination, is not only unsatisfactory as failing 
to account for the whole class of cases now alluded 
to, but is altogether no explanation at all for any 
single dream. The great cause of it is still as far 
from being solved as before. What sets the imag- 
ination at work as the dream indicates? and espec- 
ially to foretell future events in specific form? or im- 
press on the mind in vivid features the details of 
facts then transpiring in places far remote, with 
more than telegraphic accuracy and with visual 
reality? The proffered explanation is only of the 
kind such as the old heathen philosophy had to offer 
for the support of the globe we inhabit. While the 
theory of the turtle was admitted as a rational one 
to afford a foundation on which the globe might 
rest, yet like the imagination in modern science, 
failure followed every further step and effort to util- 
ize the assumed fact or explain its existence. 

By the theory advanced, of the intimate relation 
or connection of the two worlds and their respective 



The New Philosophy. 33 

inhabitants, a complete and natural explanation of 
the whole phenomena is afforded. Surrounded as 
we are in our wakeful hours by our earthly com- 
panions, we are as to our inner selves at the same 
time equally in association with the spirits of others 
on the other side. In our wakeful moments we are 
constantly receiving thence our thoughts and im- 
pressions and spiritual influences. These same 
influences continue in our sleep, and natural reason 
being laid aside, at sleep with the body, these thoughts 
and impressions assume the shapes of reality. The 
influences at work, as sleep begins, most nat- 
urally continue and lead to like impressions be- 
yond the line of wakefulness, and thus produce the 
dream as a continuation of the normal fact. Thus 
is afforded an explanation of this characteristic feat- 
ure of dreams, of which we have just before spoken. 
At the same time the mind is open to other and 
divers influences, subject to be operated upon, as 
here by the world at large, and made acquainted 
with matters of every form and nature, such as have 
been before unknown and unthought of as well as 
such as have been familiar and well recognized. 
Space being abolished and the laws of spirit life in 
vogue, distant events are equally subject to be im- 

5 



34 The New Philosophy* 

pressed on the mind as those near at hand, and the 
dreamer thus made acquainted with their specific 
character, though contemporaneously happening in 
distant places or on the broad seas. Weeks, and 
months it may be, demonstrate the truth of the 
dream, thus happening far away, no clue to which 
existed to any mortal having any earthly connection 
with the dreamer at the time. Well authenticated 
facts of this character leave no room for doubt as to 
the actual experience of mankind on this point. 
Time and space with the dreamer being abolished, 
his mind is governed by spiritual laws, free from its 
natural impediments, and is thus enabled to know 
through spirit means, what the spirit itself is capable 
of knowing. 

How often does it happen to man in all the differ- 
ent occupations of life, that some of the most puz- 
zling enigmas of day experience are satisfactorily 
solved in dreams, and by thoughts and suggestions 
suddenly occurring in the quiet silence of night ! 
How thus does the professional man often have ex- 
plained some of the hardest problems of his daily 
business ! How often have the poet and author 
been called up, in the dark hours of night, to pen 
on paper some beautiful sentiment or verse and thus 



The New Philosophy. 35 

perpetuate its use, before further sleep shall have 
power to steal it from his mind ! And how often is 
the individual thus introduced into some new scene 
of thought or action by a kind suggestion coming to 
him unsought in sleep ! There is no limit to human 
experience of this kind, including matters of famil- 
iar occurrence, too familiar perhaps to attract obser- 
vation or fix the attention, and embracing others of 
vital importance and disconnected perhaps with the 
party's whole previous history or thought. In all 
these cases the same great law of spiritual associa- 
tion prevails, affording and furnishing a most com- 
plete explanation of the entire phenomenon. The 
thoughts of our spiritual associates are infused into 
our minds and become to us at the time as com- 
pletely real, as the most real experience of our wake- 
ful hours. 



INSANITT. 

Closely connected with the subject of Dreams is 
that of its kindred, Insanity. This has ever been, 
like the former, both as to physical and mental 
development, wholly inexplicable, save perhaps that 
the fact is recognized, that reason is dethroned in 
such cases and the party left without its aid and 
guidance. This, however, affords no explanation or 
light even, as to the cause of the peculiar character 
or nature of the insane man's acts and conduct. The 
striking reality of his impressions and convictions, 
leading to the most imperious acts of conduct and 
life, is known to all, but why and whence this char- 
acteristic of insanity and what may be the law gov- 
erning the subject, in the absence of reason, and in- 
deed the whole underlying subject of insanity may 
be truly said to be wholly unknown. The physical 
causes of the dethronement of reason may be known, 
but why as a result, the wild and irregular acts of 
conduct follow as they do, is wholly unexplained. 



The New Philosophy. 37 

The infinite diversity and strangeness of the in- 
sane man's fancies and their consequent develop- 
ment, at total variance from all his normal charac- 
ter and condition of health, are seen and recognized, 
but why these so widely differ from those remains 
to be discovered. Why the quiet and ever reticent 
man takes on the character of a raving maniac — the 
man of sober and contemplative mood, that of a 
violent disturber of the peace of the community, — 
the kind and affectionate husband, that of a depraved 
hater and enemy of his dearest friends and family — 
all this is an enigma yet remaining to be solved in 
the philosophy of the day. To say in explanation, 
that reason in such case is gone and the man knows 
not what he is doing, is no explanation, but rather 
adds to the enigmatical cause of the fact. Reason 
gone, it would be more natural that the habits of 
life would be continued, and that his normal char- 
acter, for virtue, order, affection and other propen- 
sities, would remain as the governing principles of 
his conduct. The loving parent, the quiet citizen, 
the industrious worker, according to all the laws of 
habit and experience, would remain such with in- 
creased rather than diminished force, when his rea- 
son was gone, just as the unreasoning brook when 



2,8 The New Philosophy. 

diverted by any intervening obstruction seeks again 
its former banks, when the obstruction is overcome, 
and continues to flow over its old pebbly surface. 

The ravings of the insane, have, it is true, often 
been explained as the infestation of evil spirits, but 
philosophy has given to them no such explanation 
and for the best of all reasons, that no system of 
philosophy has as yet ever been able to define, much 
less to explain, how such infestation could be effected 
or even made possible under any known or hypo- 
thetical scheme of the universe. 

A full and complete explanation of the subjeet is 
readily found in the science of philosophy now pro- 
mulgated. Reason being by some physical or bodily 
derangement, dethroned or neutralized, the man is 
mentally dead and thus deprived of all mental con- 
trol, as completely as he would be physically if 
death had full possession of his body. He is thus a 
human being with physical powers of activity, but 
without any governing power of mind or with no 
mind of his own at his command. His reason 
gone, he is left to the control and government of 
others, subject to the exercise of their will over his 
physical as well as mental powers. Surrounded, as 
he is at all times, by spirits of the departed, in close 



The New Philosophy. 39 

connection with his own, he follows their dictation 
and is carried away as they may le'ad. Like the 
man in the dense crowd or in a mob of discontents, 
he is forced and driven about, without the guidance 
of his reason, to do what the mob wills or impels, 
without regard to his own convictions of right and 
wrong, reasonable or unreasonable, and improper 
alike. In such an unreasoning state, the spirits 
surrounding him rush in and make wild work of 
his whole person, his thoughts and feelings and 
corresponding physical powers, causing him to carry 
out and perform their will instead of his own, and 
become the medium of their intentions and designs. 
The spirits in his association may, on the contrary, 
be those and such as have been his usual attendants 
in states of health. In such cases his insane char- 
acteristics may vary but little, if at all, from his 
normal state of life. The character of the associate 
spirits may thus be of any and all varieties, from 
those attendant upon the man in healthful condition, 
and even of a higher class and down to the very 
lowest of the demoniac crew, embracing those of 
wild religious experience and of all business and 
every other characteristic. The infatuation of the 
revivalist, the demoniacism of the evil crowd, the 



40 The New Philosophy. 

high sentimentalism of the socialist and the every 
day experience of the working man, of every grade 
of society, may thus find among the insane company 
on earth and in life, a fit subject for its infestation 
and exercise. Hence we might, as we do, expect 
to find all crimes even to murder and suicide 
represented by the acts of the unreasoning mad 
men. A visit to an Insane Asylum alone is neces- 
sary to give one a most vivid idea of the infinite 
diversity and character of such as are deprived of 
reason sufficient for their own self control. And 
indeed one can hardly find an excuse, at such an 
infirmary, for disbelieving in such an infestation as 
has now been suggested. Though ordinarily a man 
naiy, in many respects, in his insane state, exhibit 
many of the marked peculiarities of his healthful 
condition, yet most usually, the prevailing features 
of such are of altogether a different character, vari- 
ant from every ordinary and usual habitude of the 
person. 

All this is in direct affirmance of the theory ad- 
vanced, the character exhibited by the insane per- 
son being such as his surrounding spiritual sphere 
has for the time imposed. His reason gone, his 
power of control and selection is also gone with it, 



The New Philosophy. 41 

and he left an involuntary victim of his sphere, 
of whatever character it may chance to be. 

The Scripture examples of those who were cured 
of this kind of mental disease or infestation, by the 
"casting out of devils" or evil spirits, are good illus- 
trations of the theory advanced. As in these cases, 
the sick were thus cured, so it has ever been and 
still is by the treatment properly administered to the 
diseased. In some of the ways resorted to by the 
medical practitioner, reason is restored from its 
bodily pressure, and with this the invading sphere 
is dissipated and once more a healthy mind is found 
in a healthy body. Mens sana in corpore sano. 
The dissipation of the infesting crew is one of the 
effects of the bodily treatment, which enthrones 
reason at the same time that it restores man to his 
normal state of health. 

Insanity is thus only a more complete and per- 
manent state of dreams, the former beino- a more 
absolute and prolonged obscuration of the reasoning 
faculty. The dreamer is for the time more or less 
an insane party, especially when somnambulism is 
induced, making practical in act the fancy of the 
dream. Both are alike the outward development 

or exhibition of another's thought or suggestion. 
6 



42 The New Philosophy. 

In both cases the healthy return of reason, to its 
normal condition of wakefulness and consciousness, 
restores the party to his own mental and physical 
control and dissipates all abnormal delusions. 



SPIRITUALISM and CLAIRVOYANCE. 

Among the great number and variety of mental 
phenomena, which have puzzled the world for ex- 
planation, are the facts of, so called, Spiritualism. 
Indeed, from want of any explanation or from lack 
of all possibility of their existence according to any 
recognized theory of the universe, the whole thing 
is very generally denied not only as untrue and ab- 
surd, but also as impossible. This denial however 
is largely confined to such as find the alleged facts 
inconsistent with their ideas respecting the actual 
existence of spirits or of their nature and locality. 
Mankind, as a general thing, are prone to judge of 
the truth of any new proposition, theory or inven- 
tion according as it agrees with their preconceived 
notions or knowledge of kindred subjects, on which 
it is based or with which it is connected. When 
the new proposition is inconsistent with or opposed 
to what they already believe or think they know, it 
is at once rejected and denied perhaps as impossible, 
or at least as incredible and consequently unworthy 



44 The New Philosophy, 

of notice, much less of investigation. The best 
authenticated facts in such case are ignored and 
treated as absurd, unworthy of even a passing 
notice, much less of honest enquiry. Hence the 
idea has come to be adopted, as almost an axiom of 
life, that whatever is inconsistent with the prevailing 
belief or sentiment on the subject, or opposed to 
past experience, is necessarily untrue and unworthy 
of adoption. Instead of testing their former and 
and established ideas on the subject, by all the evi- 
dence at hand, new and old, and thus ascertaining 
the truth of the new proposition, or the falsity of 
the old, the new is at once condemned and cast 
aside as unworthy of consideration, simply because 
it is inconsistent with the old. With such, a belief 
in the existence of a new fact, or the truth of a new 
theory, is adopted only upon such a development of 
circumstances as renders denial impossible and im- 
pels belief. Striking instances of this kind do not 
require us to go back to the days of Galileo or 
Copernicus to find examples of such incredulity, 
but the last half century is full of them. The pos- 
sibility of transmarine steam navigation was not 
only disbelieved and denied, but even by the most 
reliable and astute scientists demonstrated as out of 



The New Philosophy. 45 

the question, the fact being impossible and in its 
nature perfectly absurd. A stronger and more re- 
markable illustration we have in the more recent 
invention of the telegraph or in the discovery of tel- 
egraphic possibilities. So utterly impossible and 
opposed to reason was the whole theory and propo- 
sition regarded, that every effort to secure private 
enterprise in the work of establishing a line between 
two neighboring cities proved wholly abortive. 
And Congress, after a long series of private efforts 
alone, was encouraged to make an appropriation 
sufficient to establish a line to Baltimore from the 
Capitol upon full assurance, amounting almost to a 
guarantee, that a dispatch could be sent over the 
line and answer returned in an hour from the start. 
A still stronger instance in illustration of this pro- 
clivity of human nature is found in the difficulty 
with which the cable telegraph had to contend in 
overcoming the prevailing sentiment of the masses 
respecting any important new development in nature 
or in science. Notwithstanding the surprising and 
incredible success which at once attended the Con- 
gressional appropriation spoken of, and the efforts 
of private enterprise in the same direction, yet the 
possibility of connecting together the two countries 



46 The New Philosophy* 

of Europe and America, by telegraphic means, was 
denounced and opposed as impracticable. And so 
strongly was this sentiment implanted in the minds 
of the people, that the first successes were stigma- 
tized as fraud and deception, for the reason that the 
thing was absolutely impossible. And thus has it 
been with every new theory and development almost 
that have through the ages come in to help on the 
advance of thought on every subject of philosophy 
and science, as well as of mechanics and invention. 
And so has it been with the facts and truths of 
Spiritualism. With evidence as conclusive and in 
its nature as convincing as that which has established 
an universal belief in the great inventions cited, still 
the masses of the people disbelieve, deny and ridi- 
cule the best established facts and most conclusive 
demonstrations, which are constantly being presented 
in connection with this new development of nature 
and creation. Evidence such as in a Court of Jus- 
tice or before the great Jury of the people would 
not only ensure but demand conviction of the high- 
est crime, is rejected as of no force, but as the out- 
birth of falsehood and deceit, having no claim to 
credence, however truthful may be the witnesses or 
positive their testimony. This is the more surpris- 



The New Philosophy . 47 

ing in view of what the present generation has seen 
and been compelled to believe in the cases already 
cited. When from a state of utter disbelief the 
world has come to know that in accordance with 
the great spiritual law of life, instantaneous commu- 
nication can be carried on by man here between 
places most remote from each other on this earth, 
when a dispatch can be sent and reply returned 
from New York to California, in the smallest part 
of a second of time — when we can reatl in our daily 
papers the particulars of a strife then going on at 
the same hour in Calcutta or the Soudan, how can 
one be so credulous as not to accept some of the 
proofs so constantly exhibited in connection with 
those other spiritual devolopments now under con- 
sideration. The facts of telegraphy we believe be- 
cause we are impelled to do so, by the evidence ad- 
dressed to our senses, while yet no explanation could 
be given of them by any recognized law or theory. 
The demonstrative fact came, and then science 
worked out its explanation and law so far as 
it was able, still leaving, however, the great cause 
and underlying principle of the phenomena unex- 
plained and undeveloped. How instantaneous com- 
munication is effected between places thus remote 



48 The New Philosophy. 

from each other, can as yet be answered only by the 
fact that such is the nature of electricity. Had not 
the demonstration been effected, no philospher of 
however wise a reputation, would even now venture 
to proclaim or advocate such an idea as that New 
York and Boston could be placed in instantaneous 
communication with each other. The great electric 
law, like all the laws of natural science, has never 
been in advance of its development, the wisest of 
all philosophers and scientists being able. to foresee 
or predict only such occurrences and results as have 
been before known to exist. And so has it been 
with every advance in science and philosophy since 
man first began to investigate and learn the laws 
whereby this world is governed in its various de- 
partments of mind and matter, body and spirit. 
When a new phenomenon has exhibited itself, the 
philosopher has made it his business, as best he 
could, to explain its source, its origin and its nature 
and the laws by which it is governed. But until 
the actual approach of the phenomenon, the law 
and the fact were all hidden and unknown and con- 
sequently unanticipated. And what is more remark- 
able, every advance thus far made, has been obliged 
to purchase its adoption and recognition with the 



The New Philosophy . 49 

public at the expense of opposition and disbelief all 
along its course. The great inventions and discov- 
eries in connection with the uses of steam in its ap- 
plication to the industries of life, all railway facili- 
ties to promote the intercommunication of man with 
man, as well as those of the telegraph already spoken 
of, and the multifarious other improvements which 
have characterized the history of man, have all been 
subject to resistance and unbelief, and adopted only 
as demonstration successfully dissipated disbelief 
and opposition. The experience of Galileo and 
Luther has been repeated at every great advance in 
every one of the important improvements in the 
world's history. 

And as it has been with the great facts of natural 
philosophy and with those improvements which 
pertain to man's external wants and conveniences, 
such as have been noted, so has it been with the 
facts and laws of mental and intellectual science. 
All advances in this have met the like, though usu- 
ally greater, opposition and denial. Among them 
are to be ranked the phenomena of Spiritualism. 
That these should be disbelieved and rejected is no 
matter of wonder or surprise, for although instances 

of the kind have all through the past ages been 
7 



50 The New Philosophy. 

more or less frequently exhibited, yet under such 
difficult circumstances and with such doubtful sur- 
roundings, they have failed to impress the commu- 
nity with their reality by the evidence adduced. 

That there is more or less truth in the existence 
and reality of the phenomena of so called Spiritual- 
ism can not be any longer denied by any one who 
has honestly given the subject a candid investiga- 
tion. Facts of too frequent occurrence and too well 
attested forbid such denial. That man in life here 
on earth does more or less often receive communi- 
cations from the spirits of the departed we have had 
too many undisputed and convincing proofs to deny 
or even doubt. As illustration, take the following 
actual experience. 

Two friends on earth, in anticipation of the earlv 
death of one of them, agree upon certain terms and 
conditions of proof with reference to the subject of 
spirit intercourse and as connected with certain dis- 
closures previously existing. Death intervenes, and 
after a sufficient time elapses to learn the truth or 
falsity of the disclosures, and opportunity given for 
the information to be communicated, in an unaccus- 
tomed and strange place, where the party had not 
been known, his appearance and presence are sud- 



The New Philosophy. 51 

denly announced by name to his living friend. The 
circumstances of the agreement and its exact nature 
are detailed and a long train of forgotten facts con- 
nected with their earthly acquaintance with each 
other repeated, and errors corrected respecting the 
previously existing disclosures spoken of, which the 
living party on fuller investigation, much to his aston- 
ishment, finds to be as newly revealed, against his 
previous belief or understanding. What possible 
explanation can be given of such a detail of cir- 
cumstances save only that the alleged presence of 
the communicating spirit is an absolutefact. "Mind- 
reading" even is obliged to be abandoned as an ex- 
planation, inasmuch as the fact revealed was in di- 
rect conflict with the error which the mind of the 
party addressed then entertained, subsequent inves- 
tigation proving the error to exist and the truth 
to be as newly communicated. As one of thous- 
ands of such experiences how can the whole be 
denounced as false, with any regard to the rules of 
evidence and belief in human affairs? 

Not that the disclosures are to any absolute extent 
reliable, is any assertion now made, but only that 
the phenomena alleged have an actual existence, 
that man while alive in this world, may and does 



52 The New Philosophy. 

have communication with the spirits of the departed. 
As to the reliability of such communications, in a 
large proportion of the cases, it is believed that they 
are utterly untrue and deceptive, like the kindred 
development of dreams and insanity. Like the 
stories spread abroad among the living here, those 
coming from like spirits who have passed away, are 
equally chargeable with error and untruthfulness. 
The change of place has not changed the character 
of the communicator. At the same time, and largely 
to the same degree, that the truth may be reliably 
transmitted from one to another here, the same may 
be predicated of the communications in question, 
though greater care and caution should be exercised 
in the decision and to the same degree less certainty 
secured. 

And it is further to be confessed and asserted that 
a very large proportion of all the alleged demon- 
strations of a spiritual character and especially of 
those having physical features, are absolutely false 
and fraudulent, the gross fabrications of mounte- 
banks and cheats, who take advantage of the credu- 
lity of the people to palm them off in a theatrical 
manner for the purpose of gain, to their infinite dis- 
grace and merited infamy. There can be no Ian- 



The New Philosophy. 53 

guage invented too forcible to express the utter con- 
tempt which all honest men should entertain for 
every such exhibition and their performers. But a 
rank fraud by no means disproves the existence of a 
genuine article. 

So overwhelming indeed are the proofs of the 
actual existence of such communications as have 
been already alleged, it is safe to say that mankind 
is far more and better satisfied of the truth of their 
alleged existence than the world at large is generally 
aware. How many precious and comforting'mes- 
sages from lost and deceased friends are everywhere 
silently cherished in secret ! and how many valued 
thoughts are confessedly entertained coming across 
the border, without a word of public recognition of 
their source ! Doubt may and still does hang over 
the subject, exciting it may be, even fears of decep- 
tion and simply for the reason that no explanation 
can be given of the phenomenon. Mental philoso- 
phy has thus far ignored them and consequently 
given no aid in solving the great enigma. The call 
can not much longer fail to bring attention and de- 
mand solution. All that is wanted is the adoption 
of such a theory of the universe as will explain the 
facts and render their existence possible. This being 



54 The New PhilosopJiy. ■ 

supplied, the facts and their solution will together 
form a new and important chapter in the Intellectual 
Philosophy of the world. 

The theory advanced respecting the intimate rela- 
tion of the two worlds, the one, as it were, within 
the other, fully explains the whole mystery. Such 
being the connection of the worlds with each other, 
no miracle is necessary to enable the inhabitants of 
the one to become, under favoring circumstances, 
cognizant of what is transpiring in the other, or to 
hold mutual intercourse with each other. The thin 
veil of separation is so readily lifted, the partition 
wall between the two being so almost transparent, 
all difficulties, in such case, existing in the way of a 
rational explanation, are readily removed and the 
phenomena made self evident, as to their cause and 
complete exhibition. 

The developments of spiritualism are an exhibi- 
tion to our bodily senses, through the medium of 
•other minds in our wakeful hours, of the same kind 
as in our sleep we derive through dreams, though 
of a more definite and positive nature. The spirits 
of the departed in close connection with those still 
alive on earth, unconsciously it may be, are not- 
withstanding possessed of the power, through me- 



The New PhilosofiJiy. 55 

diumistic minds, to communicate their thoughts and 
influences to those on earth, in an intelligent man- 
ner for the greatest use and benefit of mankind. 
Both these classes of phenomena are equally to be 
regarded as included in the title of Hypnotism —the 
percipient in both cases being in that abnormal state 
known by that designation. 



MIND-READING AND THOUGHT- 
TRANSFERENCE. 

Closely connected with the subject now discussed 
is that of Mind-reading or Thought-transference, 
whereby persons, in association with each other, 
may be made conscious or informed of the thoughts 
and sensations in each other's mind, without any 
external sign or indication. The experience of 
mankind on this subject has come to be so common 
and demonstrative that no doubt seems to exist to 
any very great extent of the actuality of such phe- 
nomena. Indeed they are taken advantage of by 
many to explain the facts of Spiritualism. But to 
such as have adopted this method of explanation it 
seems never to have occurred that it was no expla- 
nation at all of the facts existing, but merely a trans- 
fer of the proposition to a different plane of exam- 
ination. To say of the facts of Spiritualism that 
they are merely instances of mind-reading, is simply 
a reversal of the proposition that mind-reading is 
explained by the law of Spiritualism. The refer- 



The New Philosophy. 57 

ence in each case helps us not at all in the explana- 
tion of either. Both require a further diagnosis. If 
a medium is able to detail or bring to mind an exist- 
ing or long forgotten fact in the memory of his sub- 
ject, by what means is it effected? How can the 
one mind be cognizant of the secret contents of an- 
other and independent mind, especially when by 
the latter they had been long forgotten and extinct ? 
Yet however impossible it may be to answer the 
question and however utterly inexplicable, yet noth- 
ing is more common in practice in such matters 
than to resort to mind-reading for a solution of the 
difficulties of Spiritualism. The new is only add- 
ing one more difficult problem to solve. The united 
existence of the two demands a new development 
of law for their explanation. 

Although both depend for their exhibition on the 
same great law of spiritual existence underlying 
that of the physical, yet the especial laws govern- 
ing the one do not necessarily govern the other. 
The phenomena now under consideration are such 
as are exhibited between parties in immediate asso- 
ciation or company with each other. No intermediate 
agency is thus required to convey the news, as it 

were, from the one to the other, though there may be 
8 



58 The New Philosophy. 

times when such intermediate agency may exist. In 
order to produce upon the mind of the percipient 
the thought or sensation existing in that of the sub- 
ject or proposer, there must ever be a strong feeling 
or conception of the mental quality sought to be 
transferred, in connection with the person to whom 
it is desired to convey the same. This strong desire, 
as a great motor in spirit life, brings the two minds, 
already in close contact by personal nearness, into 
closest harmony and connection, and impresses the 
thoughts and sensations in the one mind upon that 
of the other and thus makes the latter informed of 
the idea sought to be transferred. In this way may 
not only thoughts be transferred, but all sensual sen- 
sations, including those of touch, taste, smell, hear- 
ing and sight. In order to success, however, the 
impression must be strong on the mind of the sender 
or agent to the exclusion of all other thoughts or 
ideas, so as to monopolize the mind's whole atten- 
tion. To transfer the sensual sensations indeed it 
is ordinarily found necessary to introduce to the 
senses strong natural stimulants or objects produc- 
tive of the sensation desired to be conveyed, as by 
taste or smell of odorous objects or the like. This 
strong desire or impression on the part of the sender 



The New Philosophy. 59 

or active party, in immediate association with the 
other party or percipient, brings the two minds or 
spirits of the respective persons into such close inti- 
macy as to impress the accompanying thought or 
sensation on the mind of the party addressed. Just 
as the like corresponding effect is produced on the 
party in his normal state through the medium of the 
natural senses. 



COINCIDENCES, PREMONITIONS, 
WARNINGS AND IMPRESSIONS. 

Another large class of mental phenomena which 
constantly arise to attract attention and wonder, as 
well as the curiosity of the world, is that which is 
variously classed under the appellation of Coinci- 
dences, Premonitions, Warnings and Inpressions. 
Every one has had more or less experience in this 
line, though many do not stop to think of or even 
to heed the fact. Indeed, so common is the occur- 
rence of such phenomena that like other every day 
experiences, they are permitted to pass without the 
least thought or reflection. Like the sunlight or 
the shower, they are regarded as matters of course 
and hence make no impression on the mind of the 
observer. And not only is this the case with the 
masses of the community, but writers on the sub- 
ject of mental philosophy have been equally at fault 
in this particular, and hence no explanation is to be 
found in all their writings and published volumes. 



The New Philosophy. 61 

But yet the minutest of all these incidents involves 
a world of mystery. 

Whence come those frequent premonitions of 
danger — those warnings which we instinctively heed, 
but which perhaps make little or no impression on 
the mind — those constantly recurring suggestions and 
impressions which form so large a part of the 
groundwork of our daily lives and conduct? How 
oft repeated is the coincidence of two persons 
widely separated in space from each other, simul- 
taneously engaging in the performance of a mutual 
work, after long neglect perhaps, but yet without 
any previous plan or appointment ! — How often is 
the impression or foreknowledge almost, of disaster 
or death made known to a distant relative, at the 
moment of its occurrence, however unexpected or 
accidental it may be, happening it may be in mid- 
ocean, yet impressed simultaneously on the mind 
far away ! — How often is a party in a sudden emer- 
gency of danger prompted to act by a new and 
forcible thought never before entertained, which 
being followed leads to safety ! How often is the 
traveler thus saved from impending accident, which 
would have proved fatal on board the steamboat or 
railroad train or other means of transportation ! 



62 The New Philosophy. 

Indeed the world is full of these constantly re- 
curring experiences in all business engagements, 
employments and positions in which man is placed. 
The facts have ever attracted a great share of public 
attention and have often been made the subject of 
compilation and presentation, as facts of history, 
but whence their origin and their cause, and what 
their explanation have ever been and still are a 
blank. Philosophy has shed no light on the subject 
save that "Providence has so ordained." But Prov- 
idence always works through means, and every 
event has its adequate cause. 

The great law of life and order by which the 
whole universe of mind and matter is controlled 
and governed, it is true, is such as naturally leads 
to and works out, in a great measure, the general 
phenomena of which we now speak. As an agency 
in the enforcement or execution of this law, the ex- 
isting relation of the two worlds and their respective 
inhabitants, affords a full illustration of the various 
facts to which we have now called attention. The 
association of the spirits of the departed with 
those still living in this world, more or less, informs 
the latter of the threatened danger in advance of its 
occurrence and too of the distant event happening 



The New Philosophy. 63 

contemporaneously with the information commu- 
nicated. 

Just how far the spirits of the departed may 
know the events and scenes of this world, our pres- 
ent information does not enable us to describe, but 
so far as the natural event has a spiritual origin or 
beginning, as a large part of all human actions 
has, of these man may be forewarned in the manner 
described. Thus far we may and do receive warn- 
ings and premonitions to a greater or less extent, 
according to the character of our sphere, which is, 
of course to a large extent governed by the character 
of our own selves. 

With respect to that large class of facts known 
as coincidences such as have been cited, the expla- 
nation is simple and plain. Thus the information 
of a distant event happening with a friend in close 
communication with another, is, through the inti- 
mate relation of the parties and their respective 
spheres, simultaneously impressed on the other's 
mind. The sudden disaster or death of the parent 
or child, husband or wife, is instantaneously made 
known to the other, without regard to space, through 
the intervention of their respective associate spirits, 
with greater or less distinctness and force. If asleep, 



64 The New Philosophy. 

the impression produces the dream as before ex- 
plained, but if awake a like impression gives exer- 
cise to thought and excites the apprehensions and 
more or less disturbs the mind with restlessness and 
fears often of the most distinct character. 

Like as with the kindred element of electricity in 
the world, man may, by telegraph, while at his 
home in America, receive instantaneous information 
of an event happening in the Soudan or India, so 
may he in like manner, through spiritual agency, 
be alike informed of that which concerns him, 
wherever on the earth the event may be occurring 
at the time. 

A further illustration of this subject will be found 
in the next chapter. 



TELEPATHY. 

The class of facts spoken of in our last chapter 
have of late attracted a great and universal degree 
of attention and frequent compilations of such have 
been made by authors and contributors to the peri- 
odical press under the title of "Telepathy." The 
existence of such facts no longer admits of any seri- 
ous doubt, especially with all students who have 
made a study of the subject. An English magazine 
writer (in the "Nineteenth Century,") upon the 
subject, claims to have a list of some six hundred 
well authenticated cases of this kind, where parties 
widely separated from each other were contempor- 
aneously impressed or informed of events then tak- 
ing place at great distance away. An explanation 
is earnestly sought by the parties involved. It is 
readily found as a direct result of the theory ad- 
vanced, of the intimate relation of the two worlds 
and of their respective inhabitants. 

Remembering that there is no actual space in the 

other world, but only the appearance of such, and 
9 



66 The New Philosophy, 

that desire or affection brings presence, as before 
explained, and that hence the spiritual spheres of 
associates here are in intimate association with 
each other there, without regard to their respective 
earthly location, the impression or information of 
any striking event happening to the one on earth 
is very readily communicated to the other, through 
the agency of their respective spheres or associ- 
ates in the spiritual world. In this way may not 
only the thoughts of the one here be communicated 
to another instantaneously, but even bodily and 
mental sensations be thus readily transferred. The 
agonies or joys of the dying husband or father, in 
mid-ocean or otherwise far away, may in an instant 
be conveyed to the mind of the absent wife or child 
with a distinctness almost equal to the reality. And 
so of any sensation or idea of a striking character 
such as forcibly presses itself on the mind of the 
subject, in connection with the percipient or absent 
friend. All bodily or physical sensations of pain 
and suffering, grief or joy, and all sensual impres- 
sions directly entertained by the one party with refer- 
ence to the other, are thus readily with more or less 
distinctness, conveyed as by postal means or tele- 
graphy to the mind of the other party in interest. 



The New Philosophy. 67 

Not that these experiences are universal or at the 
command or favor of all. A peculiarly sensitive 
mind must the percipient have, and the subject too, 
must be of an impressible character, in order that 
the spiritual mail (so to speak) may carry the news. 
A peculiar mental organization must exist on both 
sides and the laws of spiritual action obeyed, other- 
wise failure must follow. As electricity demands 
for its success a strict compliance with the minutest 
laws of its nature, so with the phenomena in ques- 
tion, the great law of life regulating their existence 
must be respected. Experimenters must not won- 
der at failures which follow conditions of their own 
imposition in any of their efforts to test spiritual 
facts. 

Nor is it to be understood that the results spoken 
of, as they impress themselves on the percipient's 
mind, are of a natural kind as they sometimes seem 
to be. On the contrary, no natural sight, or sound, 
or other sensation is thus conveyed or produced, 
but only the appearance of such. The whole oper- 
ation and result is spiritual or mental, however real 
it may be, and is addressed to the mental sense alone, 
although many of the related instances leave in 
doubt the question whether the imparted news or 



68 The New Philosophy. 

other result is not real to the natural senses. Numer- 
ous instances of this kind are reported, in which 
the impression has been so strong and vivid on the 
mind of the percipient as to appear substantial to 
his sight or touch, or to his taste or hearing. The 
truth in such case is that the vividness of the im- 
pression takes such complete possession of the mind 
as to seem altogether as real, when it has only such 
a reality as has a dream. A hypnotic state is in- 
duced and a momentary haze envelopes the individ- 
ual and for the time he is unconscious of the sudden 
change which has come over him from absolute 
wakefulness. What he sees and hears is simply an 
impression on his inner sense, full it may be of 
most important information respecting his own or his 
friend's natural condition and danger or the reverse. 
In such case the party may properly be said (to use a 
common expression appropriate to the subject) to 
be in a "sleep- waking condition," an expression 
well known to all. 



NECROMANCY, CONJURATION AND 
ENCHANTMENT. 

Closely connected with the themes already dis- 
cussed is another class of mental experiences which 
have in all ages attracted the attention of the world, 
under the various names of Necromancy, Conjura- 
tion, Enchantment and other appellatives expres- 
sive of the idea of one's unnatural power or influ- 
ence over another. Such phenomena have ever 
existed to puzzle the ingenuity of the world for an 
explanation. The want of such explanation, to a 
satisfactory degree has, in modern times, led to a 
very general denial of the existence of such facts, 
and hence they have received but little considera- 
tion and much less investigation. 

Of the same class with these last mentioned ex- 
periences are those oft recurring instances of indi- 
viduals obtaining perfect control over the actions of 
others, overpowering their freedom of thought and 
action and reducing them temporarily to a state of 
servitude to such other's will and pleasure. Such 



70 The New Philosophy. 

instances of inextricable control and influence are 
becoming more frequent and noticeable, though as 
yet they have seldom attracted the attention of men 
of science to an extent sufficient to call for an expla- 
nation of their cause. 

The old mystic art and thart: of prophecy are of 
the same character, and history records many well 
attested cases of this kind of mental experience 
too important to be ignored or passed by in silence. 

It is to be admitted that closely connected with 
all the veritable instances of these various classes of 
mental experience, there has ever existed a large 
amount of fraud and deception. Imposture has 
ever been practiced under the guise of them all. 
However sacred the truth and the laws which gov- 
ern it, yet falsehood and deceit have ever taken 
advantage of their sacredness and perverted them to 
evil uses. Witchcraft and other dire delusions have 
found a place for their wild and unholy practice 
under the garb of truth and holiness. 

But it can hardly be claimed that all the instances 
which human history has accumulated and garnered 
up in all ages, of the class now discussed have been 
the progeny of illusion and error. There must be 
some foundation for so widely extended and almost 



The New P7iilosoj)hy. 71 

universal idea, through all the eras of history, sacred 
and profane. The casting out of devils and the 
dissipation of evil spirits is not wholly an event of 
inspired story. Well attested facts of modern 
occurrence go to establish the real existence of such 
mystical or inexplicable influence, bordering at 
times almost on insanity, but yet exercised with 
complete success over healthy minds. 

The explanation for all these strange facts of hu- 
man history or conduct is found in this same great 
underlying strata, so to speak, of life. Through 
the mutual connection of spirits attendant upon the 
conjurer and the conjured, a control is secured over 
the mind of the weaker party and thus over his 
body, reducing both to the most abject condition of 
servitude both of thought and action. 

Modern writers have compiled a great variety of 
facts of this class, many of them of the most simple 
kind yet bespeaking a most important principle at 
the foundation. Allusion is made to that class of 
experiments made by philosophers and investigators 
as well as in sport, where such complete control 
is had of persons in their companionship as that 
their will is entirely neutralized and with it all power 
of self control and action overcone and for the time 



72 The New Philosophy. 

destroyed, and the stronger will of the outside party 
substituted in its place. 

Animal Magnetism or Mesmerism. 

The practices known under these designations 
may be very properly ranked in the same class with 
the foregoing and explained in the same manner. 
The mesmerizer, like the medium in spiritualism, 
having peculiar spiritual affinities, is enabled, by 
his strong will and other qualities, to force the will 
of the other party into a perfect subservency to his 
own, and thus accomplish the object of controlling 
not only the will but the physical actions of the 
mesmerized. 

All the instances detailed in this chapter are of 
the same general character with those treated of in 
previous chapters under the designation of Thought- 
transference, telepathy and other phenomena involv- 
ing the subject of one's connection with or control 
over the thoughts, sensations, volition and conse- 
quent physical acts of another. 



VISIONS, WRAITHS, APPARITIONS 
AND OTHER SPEC TRAP SIGHTS. 

The belief in ghosts and other spectral appear- 
ances or manifestations has ever prevailed to a 
greater or less extent among all nations and people. 
How much truth there may be in these alleged 
phenomena no one is authorized to say. Many of 
them are corroborated by evidence of so conclusive 
a nature as scarcely to leave room for contradiction 
or doubt. That a vast deal of error is mixed up 
with the relations and that falsehood has prevailed 
to an unbounded extent on the subject there is no 
room for denial. The delusion and falsity are un- 
doubtedly very much more common and general 
than the truth of the matter. But notwithstanding 
all this, it is hardly wise or philosophical to deny 
the actual existence of such facts or to consign them 
all to the field of an overwrought imagination. 

This general disbelief on the subject has its found- 
ation in the like disbelief, of which we have had 
10 



74 The New Philosophy. 

occasion already to speak, respecting the two states 
of man's life. Regarding these as located at infinite 
distance apart, the impossibility of the alleged 
occurrences necessarily follows and hence the con- 
sequent doubt, disbelief and utter denial. The evi- 
dence substantiating the actual fact is overcome by 
the doubt of its possibility. Man, too, is prone to 
disbelieve everything not capable of demonstration 
to his natural senses, and therefore these classes of 
mental or spiritual experiences are obliged to give 
way to his propensity to disbelieve and deny what 
he can not see, or hear or touch. 

The relation of the two worlds to each other 
being as already explained, in immediate connec- 
tion, the one within the other, like body and 
soul, the impossibility of such phenomena no 
longer exists and with this, the principal basis of 
improbability and disbelief is dissipated. The real- 
ity thus becomes like all other alleged natural occur- 
rences a matter of proof upon the evidence adduced. 
This gives opportunity for a fair trial of any such 
alleged occurrence before the great jury of the pub- 
lic. The proof of a single fact of the kind in the 
w T hole history of the world is sufficient to establish 
the truth of the theory that such manifestations are 



The New Philosophy. 75 

possible and places any new instances of the kind 
on the same ground as any other doubtful fact in 
the business world. 

Just how the wraith or apparition in every case 
of actual occurrence takes place it may be difficult 
to determine, the difficulty coming largely from a 
lack of knowledge of all its particulars or attendant 
circumstances. By an acquaintance with these an 
explanation is readily arrived at. Most frequently 
the reported cases of spiritual appearances have 
been observed by single minds alone, while it is 
also true that many have been observant of them in 
other instances. The former has been most com- 
monly the case with the sick just before death has 
occurred. In such cases the attendants have been 
entirely unobservant of the scene or vision. With 
such, a diseased mind may be the explanation in 
some cases, but such an explanation is far from sat- 
isfactory with reference to very many well attested 
facts of the kind which history and our own expe- 
rience have detailed and recorded. The opening 
of the spiritual sight in such cases is a perfect ex- 
planation of the whole phenomenon, whereby the 
party is favored with a view of the future world 
before he leaves the natural body by death. 



76 The New Philosophy. 

Then, too, there are many well attested facts of 
this kind, where all present were privileged a sight 
of the vision. The believer in the Scriptures has a 
large number of such relations presented to his 
mind as proofs of the statement. These and such 
are explainable in the same way by an opening of 
the inner sight to see the surrounding objects of the 
other life, though the more usual explanation in 
such case may be of a different character. Under 
peculiar circumstances there can be no doubt that 
the spirit is endowed with the faculty or power of 
assuming a personality sufficiently substantial to 
make itself apparent to the sight of others. The 
modus of operation and just how it is effected is 
not, it may be confessed, so well known as to be 
fully explained, but facts of the kind are too well 
and fully proved to admit of a doubt that spirits 
have actually found themselves able to make them- 
selves apparent to the sight of mortals. Nor does 
it weaken the truth of the proposition that mounte- 
banks have taken advantage of the fact to play off 
their vile frauds upon the credulity of the public. 

Spectral appearances may thus very readily be 
regarded as phenomena of no unusual, much less 
of a miraculous character. The impossibility of such 



The New Philosophy. 77 

occurrences being removed and their reasonableness 
established, in accordance with the true order of 
existence and of nature, all mystery is taken away 
and man placed in condition to see and judge of 
things in their true light in the same manner and to 
the same degree that he is endowed with the means 
of explaining any other of the secrets of science or 
philosophy. 



COMMON INCIDENTS OF LIFE. 

The theory advanced affords an illustration of all 
the phenomena of man's life where mental factors, 
so to speak, come in to effect or give character to 
natural events and circumstances- The thousand 
strange and otherwise unexplainable freaks of man 
in his conduct in the world, his grave inconsistencies 
and idiosyncrasies, his suicidal or murderous pro- 
pensities, at variance with all his former life, his 
oddities of behavior, his evil or perhaps over pious 
acts of an opposite character, his fits of anger and 
revenge and sudden malice, his increased nervous 
and mental activity or its reverse, producing the 
most marked results, all these and a thousand other 
heretofore unexplainable mental facts come in for 
explanation under the law now cited. The great 
underlying platform or principle of spirit life and 
association is their full cause and illustration. 

The world of nature being an outbirth or prog- 
eny of the world of spirit, having no life save as 
it receives it from the latter, is subject to the laws 



The New Philosophy. 79 

and conditions which the spirit life imposes. With- 
out a knowledge of these, man here works and 
walks on unexplored ground and is constantly sub- 
ject to sudden and unforewarned events of which 
he had no previous conception and for which after 
their happening he has no explanation. The world 
is full of this experience, which has ever been be- 
yond the power of philosophy to illustrate or of 
human wisdom to fathom. 

Man is as it were a machine the propelling power 
of which is out of sight, underlying the machinery 
itself. As is w T ell known to every workman, the 
machine can be worked to advantage or with safety 
only when both the parts and their relation to each 
other are all understood. The railway engineer or 
conductor must know how the power is originated 
by the boiler and engine, as well as how it is con- 
trolled in its application to the w T ork of moving the 
train along the track. The same is true of the man 
who operates the manufactory of any article of 
merchandise by machinery. The propelling power 
must be known and its laws understood in order 
to an effective and safe operation of the machine 
which it propels. He who would manipulate 
the motion of the time piece and correct its mis- 



80 The JVeiv Philosophy. 

takes, must know all the secrets of the machinery 
which underlie the dial, and give motion to the 
hands. The same is true of man and the machinery 
of his life. The world and the man himself being 
but the visible or physical outbirth of spirit life, 
which, as already suggested, like the engine, pro- 
pels its motions and gives to it all its activity, are 
constantly liable to the wildest freaks and saddest 
accidents, such as are subject to occur from unknown 
or secret defects or interposing obstacles. Igno- 
rance of the existing obstructions or antagonizing 
powers in the one case, as well as in the other, are 
liable to subject the man to the strongest vicissitudes 
and the most overwhelming catastrophies. A knowl- 
edge of the whole instrument, of its parts and its 
workings, is equally necessary in both cases in order 
to success or even to safety. The machinery and the 
power, the soul and the body, must be in true harmo- 
ny in order to produce a favorable outcome. When 
the body by any means becomes fettered, so to speak, 
so as to deprive the soul of its free exercise, in the 
same degree comes disease and death however pre- 
mature and unexpected. And when on the other 
hand, the soul becomes diverted by interposing 
physical or spiritual antagonisms, the body suffers 



The New Philosophy. 81 

with it, producing it may be the most serious results 
to body or mind or both as is most frequently the 
case. 

The soul can only do its full duty through a 
healthy and perfect body of corresponding character 
and vice versa. The two must be in full accord in 
order to the perfect work of either. A sound mind 
in a sound body is the one great sine qua non of 
human existence, however apparent may be an occa- 
sional exception to the rule, where a strong mind 
may produce the most remarkable results while 
working through a body of weakness and disease. 

Under circumstances such as have now been 
alluded to, where the soul and body are not in strict 
accord with each other and enjoying a healthy action, 
the two become estranged as it were from each 
other, and a lack of mental control produces the 
deranged organization, which leads to the strange 
freaks which we have recited. A derangement of 
the mental powers is produced, and insanity more 
or less permanent and complete succeeds, and the 
physical and mental phenomena follow according 
to the laws of the insane state as before explained. 

11 



PHYSICAL MANIFESTATIONS OF 
SPIRIT PO WBR. 

Another class of phenomena, which have attracted 
particular attention in connection with our general 
subject, is that of Spirit power or influence as ex- 
erted or practiced on the material plane or over 
physical objects. This manifestation has often been 
exhibited and in various ways, plainly indicating or 
proving the power of spirits in that direction. In- 
stances of the kind are found in the use of the me- 
dium's hand in writing or the drawing of pictures 
illustrative of spiritual subjects or other objects — 
also in the use of the various organs of the body 
as by that of the medium's eyes, to see through 
them the scenes of this world and to become ac- 
quainted with the objects of sense. A more com- 
mon exhibition of this power is found in the moving 
of articles such as tables and the like through the 
medium of the human hand. The very frequent 
well attested recurrence of these experiences leaves 
no room to doubt the reality of such power. 



The New Philosophy. 8 



o 



This result very readily follows from the relation 
alleged to exist between the two states of man's 
existence as before illustrated. In order however 
to effect this result, there must be on the part of 
the agent or medium a peculiarly sensitive or im- 
pressible organization, or in other words, a refined 
spiritual system, as through such alone can spirit 
ordinarily work with success. 

And hereby is afforded one very effectual test of 
the genuineness of the phenomena as distinguished 
from the manifold gross cheats and frauds so often 
practiced upon the public. As a general rule no 
genuine experience of this kind can ever be pre- 
arranged by the medium. Hence all appointments 
of a definite kind at any future designated occasion, 
may with greatest certainty be treated as false and 
fraudulent. The spiritual law is not that of the 
earthly theatre. When a true or real exhibition of 
this kind shall be made or what its character, can 
not be prearranged. 



THE MIND OR SOUL. 

The remarks already indulged in naturally leads 
to the enquiry respecting the mind, or that quality 
or constituent of the human being which makes him 
essentially what he is diverse from and superior to 
all other objects of creation. What is the mind or 
soul as separate from the body, which makes the 
living man more than the same individual when 
prepared for his burial ? 

The discussion is one of no very ancient date, 
which raised the question of locality of the soul in 
the body. While one located it in the heart, another 
found its resting place in the brain or other vital 
organ of the body. All was a matter of doubt 
and uncertainty. It is however taken for granted 
that now no doubt exists on the subject, the general 
proposition being admitted that the soul of man or 
his spirit, in its various features, fills the correspond- 
ing parts or organs of the body, giving life in this 
way to each part or organ by its presence. The 



The New Philosophy. 85 

body is thus but the clothing of the soul, just as his 
dress is the clothing of his body. All life is hence 
from the spirit world as has already been remarked, 
no life originating in the natural but only as it comes 
into it from the spiritual. 

Such being the case the soul in form must be the 
same with the body, not indeed fettered by any acci- 
dental impediments of the latter, but in perfect form 
free from natural or accidental deformities or dep- 
rivations. When at death the two parts are disu- 
nited or separated, the spiritual or the soul in human 
form passes to its future home with all its charac- 
teristics naturally adhering. In that form it must 
from analogy naturally remain substantially as it 
was in the body, with like loves and passions and 
other qualities as it had in this life, for death can 
not have the effect to change the essential character 
of that which a whole life here has been constantly 
active in forming. 

Then arises the question raised at the beginning 
of this dissertation, and which lies at the foundation 
of our whole theory thus far, as to the locality of 
the soul's future home and the quality of its life 
there or its mental condition. 

Passing by the first question as having been al- 



86 The New Philosophy. 

ready answered, and approaching the latter, view- 
ing this from a philosophical standpoint alone, free 
from all theological dogmas and speculations, we 
can not but be rationally convinced, from the nature 
of things, that the soul must remain the same entity 
after death as before, in the same form and with 
like or corresponding character and propensities. 
This world is thus seen to be merely a school or 
place of instruction or preparation for the future. 
And as mature life here is largely controlled by the 
education and training of younger days, so life in 
this world must in like manner and degree be the 
scene of preparation for that which is to come. And 
may it not be equally concluded that as life here is 
rendered pleasant and happy in proportion to its 
activity and use or success, that the like traits will 
prevail there and form the great characteristics of 
life to eternity ! If such be the case, as is asserted, 
then life there must correspond with life here and 
be a life of activity and employment. 

What that employment may be and what its na- 
ture we may not here be able to know, but as here 
all true use has reference to others as well as our- 
selves we may readily conclude of the same there. 
It will certainly help us largely in the decision of 



The New Philosophy. Z^j 

all these questions to reflect that life is one from 
birth to eternity, an unit of existence, and that the 
soul is all the time one and the same entity, the 
earlier years on earth and the later beyond. 

Admitting then that man has a future life beyond 
and after this and thus necessarily a locality where 
that life is to be lived, what more rational supposi- 
tion can there be than that such life is to be in close 
connection with this — and that the employments of 
that life concern the welfare and condition of others, 
involving those that remain behind here, as well as 
those more especially of their connection there. 

We thus have an answer to our question that the 
mind is the soul, that never dying, but immortal 
part of our being, here acting through the body 
and its senses, but living on, after the death of the 
body, to eternity, man's substantial being, in closest 
intimacy and connection with the world of nature 
and its inhabitants. 



THOUGHTS AND IDEAS. 

And here is naturally suggested the question 
whence and what are our thoughts and ideas and 
all our mental exercises. There is something out- 
side and above all mere matter which distinguishes 
different individuals of the human species from each 
other and all from the lower orders of animate life. 
The great distinguishing quality of human over 
brute creation consists in the faculty of acquiring 
knowledge and hence of receiving and expressing 
thoughts and ideas. Thence come action and all 
those traits that distinguish man from the lower or- 
ders of life. Whence are these thoughts, their 
source and their promptings ? 

We are so accustomed to think of these things as 
matters of course, and consequently to regard them 
as not subjects of investigation, that we pass them 
by as not proper themes of discussion. Thus the 
thoughts and ideas which constantly arise in our 
minds find no demand for solution or explanation, 
but are treated as phenomena having no cause but 



The New Philosophy. 89 

as existing per se and not subjects of enquiry. Like 
axioms in mathematics they are regarded as not 
susceptible of proof, but prove themselves. 

Such however is not the true nature of the sub- 
ject, but on the contrary it is closely connected with 
the deepest mystery of human existence. Its expla- 
nation involves the whole nature of man, is coex- 
tensive with his very life and like this demanding all 
the skill and wisdom of the deepest philosophy to 
fathom and illustrate. 

As certain as the plant is dependent for its exist- 
ence and growth on some great life-giving princi- 
ple beneath or above the plant itself, as necessary as 
is some such fundamental principle to the life of 
man in the world, so absolutely essential is it that 
there must be some great underlying source of all 
our mental exercises, our thoughts and ideas, our 
incentives to action and our very life as intelligent 
beings. The origin, the growth and the laws of 
thought must in their nature be as certain and as 
necessary as those of natural objects. The apple 
or the rose is no more the result of a long train of 
causes to produce it than is the corresponding 
thought or affection of the mind. The one is no 

more spontaneous than the other and both equally 
13 



90 The New Philosophy. 

demand a basis or cause of existence. This once 
determined must necessarily explain the whole and 
afford the only satisfactory solution of the great 
enigma. 

The theory advanced of a spiritual world in imme- 
diate connection with the natural, both intimately 
connected as has been already explained, solves the 
mystery and does away with all the puzzling propo- 
sitions connected with the subject. Thence origi- 
nate all our thoughts and ideas, thence come our 
impressions, thence our promptings to duty, thence 
our impulses to action. The soul acted upon by 
outward as well as inward objects, corresponding 
thoughts and ideas are excited. Acts and words 
falling upon the sensitive principle of the mind, like 
seed falling upon the earth, produce such thoughts 
and ideas as are of like nature with themselves. 
Besides thoughts thus suggested, innumerable others 
of a different nature constantly fill the mind without 
any natural or other known cause. Like as with 
dreams in sleep, our waking hours are full of such 
experiences, exciting the fancy and producing the 
most agreeable as well as the saddest thoughts and 
feelings of every day life. These come from the 
world of spirit in direct communication with our 



The New Philosophy. 91 

own inner selves. Hence are the poet's inspiration 
and the author's frights of imagination and the con- 
stant suggestions which come, perhaps unbidden, 
but laden with the richest fruits of mental stores. 
Thence are all thought and all mental activity and 
exercise, in every form, in times of wakefulness as 
well as of sleep, of sound as well as of unsound 
mind and memory. 



IMA GINA TION. 

The mention of the "Imagination" as a part or 
element of the mind naturally suggests the question, 
as to its nature or quality. What is the "Imagina- 
tion?" As a quality or faculty of the mind or as a 
factor of man's nature, it has ever played a most 
important part in all systems of Mental Philosophy, 
as a solvent or absorbent of all its difficult and inex- 
plicable phenomena. So completely is this the 
case that it has come to be the great law of all phi- 
losophy to ascribe to it every thing that can not be 
explained, and man has found himself cut off from 
all further enquiry when once any phenomenon has 
fallen within its clutches. It hardly has occurred to 
any one to follow the trail of any proposition or ex- 
planation further than to the great portal of this 
tyrant, who has grasped all the secrets of the mind 
and all the machinery of its working. Whatever 
lies within its authority and dictation has thus far 
been kept a secret securely locked up from all inves- 
tigation and enquiry. 



The New Philosophy. 93 

The definition of the term as given by lexicogra- 
phers shows the utter indefiniteness of its meaning 
and nature of its real character. 

"Imagination — The faculty of the mind by which 
it bodies forth the form of things unknown — or pro- 
duces original thoughts or new combinations of 
ideas from materials stored up in the memory." — 
Worcester. 

As a quality or faculty of the mind it is thus made 
to be, according to the convenience of the dealer, 
the cause or effect of any given phenomenon not 
otherwise explained. Its nature, however, is unde- 
finable, except as occasion offers to use it, and then 
the definition is necessarily so made as to include 
the end and use in view. In one sense it is the 
great waste-basket of philosophy, into which she 
throws all material of which she can make no use 
and which only tends to puzzle and provoke enquiry. 
Thus dreams and the freaks of insanity, the sudden 
bursts of rage, the strange fancies of fanatics, the 
prognostications of prophecy, all premonitions and 
coincidences, all mental warnings and spectral illu- 
sions, apparitions and scenes of clairvoyance, and 
in fact almost every doubtful mental phonomenon is 
absorbed as its progeny or parent. Every theory 
of the kind is referred to its care and keeping. 



94 The New Philosophy. 

But yet what is this great power, the imagination, 
what its real character and laws of action and being, 
no philosophy tells us, but its whole nature is a 
mystery as insolvable now as in the ages of the past, 
save only as lexicographers have briefly explained, 
or attempted to explain, its meaningless definition 
as already quoted. How much real information 
this definition gives it is hardly necessary to ask. 
The whole is still a mystery as complete and unde- 
finable as was that of the lightning before Franklin 
first began to learn its nature and its laws. Before 
his day it could only be defined as that faculty or 
quality of the universe, by which the most intense 
light and heat are produced from darkness with 
deepest intonations of sound and often producing 
the most disastrous effects to objects intercepting its 
path. Suffice it to say, that the faculty of the imag- 
ination has no basis or explanation in the philosophy 
of the day and no rational definition. 

That it is an independent existence or faculty 
even, no one can claim, nor that it is anything else 
than a quality of the mind, like as color is an inde- 
pendent quality of natural objects. Nor is it a sep- 
arate factor of being, but simply a qualfication of 
other factors of existence, like the color of a man's 



The New PhilosofiJiy. 95 

face or outer garment. But still the philosophy 
and practice of the day ascribe to it as a cause, 
some and indeed almost all the difficult problems 
of mental experience. 

What then is the Imagination? 

The great theory now proposed, respecting the 
connection and intimacy of the two worlds or states 
of existence, gives a ready answer. The imagina- 
tion is simply the mind as acted upon, affected or 
controlled by its spiritual association or relation- 
ship. The irregular ideas, the fancies and strange 
revelations, which the mind thus receives from its 
surrounding spiritual sphere are the "freaks of 
imagination" as they are accustomed to be called. 
The imagination is thus only the normal mind pecu- 
liarly acted upon by its ever attendant companion- 
ship. In this way it is that it becomes a "faculty 
by which it bodies forth the form of tilings unknown 
or produces original thoughts or new combinations 
of ideas from materials (apparently) stored up in 
the memory." The word "apparently" is inter- 
polated for the reason that nothing is more com- 
mon than for the "imagination" to produce new 
ideas never before known to the individual, and 
from materials never "stored up in his memory." 



96 The New Philosophy. 

Indeed this latter fact is the most peculiar of all the 
freaks of the "imagination," the fact that it most 
frequently produces new thoughts and new ideas, 
not only new to the mind of the party himself, but 
new to the whole world as well. 

Here then we have the. whole theory of the imag- 
ination completely explained and accounted for, all 
its puzzling enigmas answered and its laws defined. 
By spiritual influences, thoughts and ideas of all 
kinds are imaged on the mind and become to the 
man more or less definite and real, important and 
substantial. 



CONSCIENCE. 

What is conscience and whence its power over 
human thought and action have also been questions 
of deep thoughtfulness and discussion. Like the 
imagination, it is no separate factor of the mind, 
but like that only a quality of man's mental nature. 
To refer the whole phenomenon to the fact that God 
has implanted in the minds of all the faculty or 
conviction thus named, whereby they are able to 
judge of the right and be inclined to its pursuit, is 
no explanation of its nature or cause more than is a 
like reference to the same origin of any natural 
fact such as the growth of trees and plants or the 
happening of any other event in the natural world. 
That the Creator has implanted in their nature such 
a faculty or principle is not denied, but on the con- 
trary affirmed. In the same way was created the 
soil with a like propensity to produce all the objects 
of plant life. But to the growth of such the seed 
must be sowed and cultivation follow. The Crea- 
tor in all things works through means to ends, and 

13 



98 The New Philosophy. 

the phenomena of conscience are in no essential re- 
spect different from all the other great mental and 
natural facts of creation. The great substratum of 
soul and life is supplied and the means furnished, 
but to man is left a great part of the work of culti- 
vation. 

Man in this world being surrounded by spirits of 
the other, good and bad, is in constant reception from 
them of good and evil suggestions and in accord- 
ance with his own prevailing state of life and loves, 
he pursues the one or the other as his freedom dic- 
tates. But let his decision be which way it may, 
the good spirit is not silent, but to the extent of its 
ability, the man is impressed with good, however 
weak the impression may be and however little it 
may be heeded and obeyed. Constant repulsion of 
the good and inclining to the opposite, may, as it 
often does, weaken the better suggestion and repel 
it almost entirely. In proportion as the good sug- 
gestion is followed, "conscience" has power and in 
the same degree that it is repelled is it weakened 
and loses its force. 

The great law of life, of which we shall have 
occasion to speak, is such too, that when a man acts 
in accordance with it, he is conscious of the cor- 



The New Philosophy. 99 

rectness of his action, and the reverse. This law 
of order being violated, in a measure vindicates 
itself by a corresponding feeling which follows in 
the mind of the actor, known as "compunction of 
conscience," while the opposite course of conduct 
is recognized by its approval. This law is the law 
of spiritual as well as of natural existence, having 
indeed in the former its most perfect operation and 
thus enforcing its decrees upon the minds of men 
in this world, not only by its own inherent power, 
but aided by the sphere of each one's own attendant 
spirits. This principle thus controlled by the great 
law of life, in accordance with which all spirits are 
governed more or less for good, is the principle or 
quality known as "conscience," the great governing 
principle of man's life and conduct. The law al- 
luded to affords the principle, while the spiritual 
sphere of each one is the agency through or by 
means of which the principle is utilized or made 
practical in life. 



REASON. 

Of a like general character with Conscience is 
that other great quality of man's nature known as 
Reason. This is another of those "faculties" so 
called, which are said to distinguish the human 
species from all lower orders of creation, although 
we constantly observe in the lower classes of exist- 
ence the strongest evidence of a like, though of a 
lower degree, of the same principle. Like con- 
science and the imagination, however, the term is 
recognized by scholars as altogether undefinable. 
By one celebrated author it is confessed to be "far 
from being precise in its meaning, * * sometimes 
used to express the whole of those powers which 
elevate man above the brutes" but "in popular dis- 
course that power by which we distinguish right 
from wrong and by which we are enabled to com- 
bine means for the attainment of particular ends." 
Says another, "It is passive, not an active power," 
"not acquirable" but "inherent in all persons not 
entirely idiotic." 



The New PhilosofJiy. 101 

Defined in its simplest and most comprehensive 
manner, it is that quality or principle of the mind 
by which the life is governed, — the conductor of 
life's machinery, — the engineer of its motive power. 
Like conscience and the imagination,, it is no sepa- 
rate factor of the man, but a simple principle of his 
spiritual nature, exercised in the control of his phys- 
ical, as well as his mental powers and conduct. 

As such a principle, under the supreme govern- 
ment of the great law of life and in the exercise of 
man's freedom, it is largely under the influence and 
control of the spiritual sphere which constantly sur- 
rounds him, with its aid and support, its dictations 
and suggestions. These are the so called sugges- 
tions of Reason, and as he opposes and rejects or 
accepts and adopts them, his "reason" is exercised. 



INS P IRA TION. 

All the facts and the whole theory of Inspiration 
are only another illustration and proof of the great 
law and order of universal life, which we have been 
considering. The "inspired" thought is but that of 
a higher order of Being, on the other side of life, 
breathed into the minds of mortals on this. Thence 
has the phenomenon its existence as well as its 
cognomen. 

Of the quality of the inspired thought it is not 
here proposed to speak, but only as to its existence 
and origin as a mental fact or idea. The inspiration 
may be that of a low or evil kind breathed into 
the mind of the earthly recipient, from the evil of 
the other life — or it may be from spirits of the higher 
order, and even higher than these, and from all 
classes between these extremes. 

Allusion has already been made and explanations 
given of the phenomena of this class, under differ- 
ent names, as in what was said of the origin of 
thoughts and ideas and of the frequent suggestions 



The New Philosophy. 103 

in sleep and in wakefulness of beautiful sentiments, 
poetical effusions and conceptions of all kinds which 
have their origin in the world beyond. All these 
and such are but instances of and same phenomenon 
known as "Inspiration." 



SUMMARY. 

We close this part of our essay by the following 
brief summary or corollary of our whole subject. 

The two states or worlds of man's existence, the 
present and the future, the natural and the spiritual, 
are in direct and close connection with each other 
like soul and body. All life in the natural is from 
the spiritual, and death follows their separation. As 
with the soul and body of each individual man, the 
former is within the latter, so with universal nature 
its earths and atmospheres and space, the spiritual 
is within it, imparting to it all vitality and all the 
effective force, which the natural has or exercises. 

Man in this world is composed of two separate 
and distinct factors, each perfect in itself and sepa- 
rately considered independent of the other, soul and 
body, the natural and spiritual, the two correspond- 
ing with each other in every particular, and so 
fitted to each other, when united, as to make one 
perfect whole. Being thus distinct from each other, 
the two are readily capable of separation, which 



The New Philosophy. 105 

event, when ittakes place, we designate as "Death." 
The union or connection of the two is known as 
"Life." All that we recognize here with man as 
life, all vitality, all mental and physical activity, all 
thought, everything which characterizes man in life 
superior to the same man in death, is through the 
soul or spirit. The body of itself alone, as one of 
the factors of man, is powerless and without vitality 
the same through life as at its burial. 

During man's residence in this world his soul is 
an unconscious resident of the spirit world and in 
direct and immediate communication with its inhab- 
itants, deriving thence his thoughts and impulses to 
action and capable of receiving and imparting 
under favoring circumstances, information and 
knowledge between the two states, the same as be- 
tween those on the same side of life. 

The body is, as it were, a machine, the soul its 
propelling power, the spiritual world the source 
from which that power proceeds. In order to true 
success in any worldly act or undertaking, the ma- 
chine and its propelling power must therefore be in 
accord and in an orderly condition for work. The 
more perfect the machine and the application of the 

propelling power, the more successful the work it 
14 



io6 The New PhilosopJiy, 

accomplishes. And as the workman can effect 
comparatively little with the machine without a 
knowledge of its parts and of the power which pro- 
pels it, so with man generally, his labor is largely 
in vain, until all the underlying machinery of his 
nature is fully understood and realized. 

Or to adopt another and perhaps a more exact 
illustration, the man may be very properly likened 
to an electrical apparatus. His body is represented 
by the disconnected battery perfectly dead and use- 
less until placed in connection with the great elec- 
tric current. That connection gives life and activ- 
ity — disconnection causes inactivity and death. The 
electricity very properly represents, what in truth 
it really is, a spiritual power, working in and through 
nature, producing the grandest results when applied 
to the well ordered machine, but no visible results 
at all when disconnection exists. And so with 
man. A sound and well regulated mind in a sound 
body, properly connected with the great underlying 
source of all power alone secures success. 

In the manner and through the means thus de- 
scribed, man is and accomplishes what he is and 
does in this world. Underneath and effective of all 
he does is this great spiritual force, ever constantly 



The New Philosophy. 107 

active through his inner self. When this force 
ceases, thus showing a separation of the two, the 
spiritual from the natural, all action ceases for then 
death has supervened. 



PART II. 

PHYSICAL or NA TUBAL PHENOMENA 

The intimate connection of the two worlds of 
man's existence being such as has been explained or 
assumed, it must necessarily follow that other and 
vastly important results must follow from this rela- 
tion. The whole province of Nature must, to a 
greater or less extent, be subject to the conditions 
which this order imposes. The spiritual thus be- 
comes, as it were, the origin or basis of the natural 
in all its departments, and as the seed determines 
and controls the nature of the plant, so every natural 
event must refer itself back to the spirit, in a great 
measure, for its origin and quality. Remotely, or 
more or less immediately, all natural events and 
existence must be referrible to spiritual beginnings, 
flowing thus from the inner world of all cause. 

Nature in itself is dead and of itself alone unpro- 
ductive of life in any form. Disconnected from the 
great source of all life, life itself ceases with every 



The New Philosophy. 109 

earthly object. As with man when, by natural 
causes, separated as to his body from the influx of 
life from within, death follows, — as with the tree or 
plant when separated from the soil in which its 
roots are implanted, a like result is induced, — as 
with the great electric current, the simplest discon- 
nection puts an end to all further communication, — 
so with all this world's phenomenal experiences. 
These have all their origin in the world of spirit 
and are here only the outgrowth, directly or indi- 
rectly, of seed sown, as it were, in fields beyond 
the human sight. Just as all our richest fruits and 
grains are the growth from seeds planted in the 
earth beneath and left in darkness to vegetate unob- 
served and thence to fructify to perfection, each in 
its own peculiar way, without any power in man to 
change its quality, so it is with all human concerns 
and all matters of man's thoughts and acts. He 
may modify, arrange, and perfect, but the great 
underlying substratum of all mind and matter is no 
more subject to his control as to its nature, than is 
the seed as to its production. He may improve by 
culture, but in no way add to the substantial quality 
or ingredients of his being. All forms of life here, 
vegetable, animalcule, the higher animal and hu- 



no The New Philosophy, 

man are all alike the result and outgrowth of spirit 
life beneath, and thence have their birth and conse- 
quent formation. Life with each here lasts so long 
as the connection remains, but when, from any 
cause, that connection is broken, death ensues. 
With man this takes place whenever by disease, 
old age, accident or other cause the body becomes 
an unfit organ for its manifestation and exercise. 
Like the outgrown garment, when unfit for further 
use, it is thrown aside, so when life leaves man's 
earthly body he lives on in the home beyond. 

Such being the case, it must be readily seen, as 
already remarked, that vastly important results of a 
natural or physical character, as well as mental or 
spiritual, must necessarily follow. 

We have thus far confined our remarks to the 
latter class, but the former equally demand consid- 
eration. Indeed no discussion of the one is com- 
plete without a like treatment of the other. It is 
most obvious that if the two worlds of man's exist- 
ence are in such close relation to each other, his 
natural must be, at least, greatly affected by it. In 
previous pages, allusion has already been made to 
this phase of the subject. It is here proposed to 
give a more particular and practical description of 



The New Philosophy. in 

this assumed relationship and of its physical ox nat- 
ural consequences. 

All life in this world being from the inner world 
or state and flowing thence outward into all its re- 
cipients here, it must follow as an axiom of exist- 
ence, that man must, in his natural actions and char- 
acter, be greatly affected and controlled by influences 
from the unseen and heretofore unrecognized source 
of life thus established. Instances of this kind 
have already been given, where mental or spiritual 
influences have been exhibited in most striking and 
remarkable manner in physical and natural modes, 
as in cases of sudden rage, in suicidal and murder- 
ous propensities, and other idiosyncrasies altogether 
different from the party's whole previous course of 
life. Other instances of a like description are pre- 
sented in cases where whole communities become, 
as it were, crazed over some new sentiment or doc- 
trine of social or business life and leading to the 
direst results or perhaps the very reverse. Instances 
of this kind are of the most constant recurrence 
connected with all departments of labor, politics, 
religion and social life, the underlying cause of all 
which may be found in the strong spiritual spheres 
which from one cause or another are made to infest 



ii2 The New Philosophy. 

whole communities and classes of individual minds. 
Ignorance of the cause of such phenomena, in all 
detective practice, has ever helped on the success of 
all such irregular and unnatural proceedings and 
hence perhaps made all police and other corrective 
efforts unavailing and fruitless. A full knowledge 
of the underlying cause of such irregularities must 
necessarily lead to a new and more effectual diag- 
nosis of the evil and the consequent remedy to be 
applied. An allusion to some of the more common 
instances of the class of facts now spoken of, follow, 
as illustrative of the whole subject of this world's 
phenomenal history and conduct. 



TREATMENT OF THE INSANE. 

Reference has already been made to the prevail- 
ing disease of Insanity and to its cause. That it is 
a disease will be readily acknowledged, but a gen- 
erally prevailing ignorance of the cause of the pecu- 
liar symptoms or characteristics has greatly retarded 
success in the methods of cure. The physical 
cause of the derangement may be known and to the 
skilled practitioner the appropriate remedy be read- 
ily suggested, while the peculiar nature of the in- 
sane idea and its distinctive origin is all in darkness 
and hence a great factor of treatment is unknown 
and therefore omitted. 

As already explained, the insane idea is the prog- 
eny of a spiritual sphere surrounding the individual, 
which carries away its victim beyond all power on 
his part to control or prevent. The dispersion of 
such sphere is of course the first object to be accom- 
plished, and this can generally be done only by 
bringing around the party an opposite or opposing 
sphere, before which, as it were, the evil shall be 

15 



H4 The New Philosophy, 

put to flight. The first efforts in such a work may 
very naturally produce an aggravation just as the 
effort of a policeman to seize the quiet offender 
against the law, only enrages the party and leads to 
violence. Constant and unremitting efforts of a 
kind and benevolent character at heart afford in 
such cases the only sure and reliable means of suc- 
cess. Such alone will finally overcome the insane 
infestation and its consequent outward develop- 
ment. At the same time it may be added as a corol- 
lary of the same proposition, that all efforts, by 
violence or of an unkind nature, to still the crazy 
actions of the insane, only foster his rage by adding 
fuel to the flame of his insane sphere and thus in- 
crease instead of weaken its force. 

The temporary insanity of the drunkard is a good 
illustration of the more permanent and general 
status of the insane class. As the cause of the rea- 
son's dethronement is, with such, but temporary, 
the early return of the man to his normal state ena- 
bles him to drive away from himself by his own 
reason, the besetting sphere of evil and thus restore 
his state of sanity without any medical or other aid. 
He is thus able to help himself, whenever his reason 
returns, though before the return he is given up to 



The New Philosophy. 115 

the infestation around him. With the more perma- 
nently insane however, the medical practitioner and 
other outside agencies of a healthful spiritual and 
physical nature, must be brought into exercise 
ai'ound him, to dispel the evil sphere, which leads 
to unnatural ideas and consequent corresponding 
acts, as well as to cure the bodily disease which has 
led to the dethronement of reason and self control. 

" Ci'ime." 

Closely connected with the subject of insanity, as 
has been now discussed, is another form of mental 
disease which leads to insane acts, but which has 
not with the public, the credit of insanity, more 
especially with those connected with the adminis- 
tration of justice. Reference is made to that large 
and increasing class of "crimes" committed without 
previous design or forethought, and too, without 
malice, but which result in the saddest of all evils. 
Instances of this kind are becoming very frequent, 
where in perhaps a friendly social conference, a 
sudden start is made by one, who seizes his club or 
pistol and without provocation, with violence dooms 
his companion to instant death. No premeditation, 
much less any malice, precedes the act, and no 



n6 The New Philosophy. 

sooner is it committed, to the realization of the 
offender, than the most sincere grief and repentance 
follow, accompanied by an utter inability to explain 
or account for the act, its cause, or the motive which 
prompted its commission. 

Another class of cases of the same character is 
that where the sudden rage or violence is executed 
against one's own self, resulting in death by suicide, 
or in some other great personal injury. 

Such cases are most usually found to occur, if not 
always, when partial derangement of the reason 
and intellect has been induced by intemperance or 
anger or sudden fits of dejection and discourage- 
ment. All such instances are readily explained by 
the overpowering influence of the infesting sphere 
by which the party is surrounded, while he is in no 
condition of strength to resist. 

How far in the course of justice such a person is 
to be held accountable or excused for acts thus com- 
mitted is and must be a question of great doubt, in 
matters of judicial consideration. His fault may be 
in allowing himself to be brought into such a con- 
dition, where such a result is possible. But this 
may not be justly regarded as sufficient to charge 
the culprit with the full measure of punishment 



The New Philosophy. 117 

which is due to such an act, when committed with 
malice and premeditation. 

The lesson taught by all these cases is one which 
the world should heed as most important in the pre- 
vention and treatment of the whole class. The law 
of kindness and sympathy, in all such instances? 
should be the governing principle of action in their 
treatment and associations, such as shall in its na- 
ture tend to drive away and dispel the opposing 
and possessing sphere of evil, which surrounds the 
individual and leads to the insane freaks. Force 
and unkind efforts to still the ravings of such, only 
strengthen the infestation and lead on to greater and 
perhaps more fatal results. Nor should such acts 
of kindness be withheld or discouraged by the 
strong will or determination of the party to resist 
all exercise of kindly feelings toward them. These 
only evidence the strong hold which the evil attend- 
ants have secured upon their victim. All the more 
vigorous should be the efforts made to relieve the 
party of the deadly incubus which in such cases are 
weighing upon him. 



HEALTH AND DISEASE. 

But probably the most important direct physical 
effect resultiug from the intimate relation of the two 
worlds of man's existence, is that which bears upon 
and controls the health of the human family and 
the consequent law of cure. Man being as now 
suggested, the combined creature of two worlds, 
occupying his corresponding place in each and in 
both at the same time, composed of soul and body 
so intimately connected as to form but one being, 
most important results must necessarily follow from 
this relation, connected with his bodily structure 
and condition of health. 

As the body has no life in itself save as it flows 
in through the soul, this must necessarily be liable 
to be more or less affected according as the channel 
through which it flows is free and clear or in any 
way obstructed. In order to a perfectly healthy 
state of body this flow must be equally so, and 
hence any disease at the initial point, or point of 
unition of soul and body, or at any other subsequent 



The New Philosophy. 119 

stage, must be correspondingly destructive of the 
health of the system. When indeed we conceive 
of the infinitely delicate machinery of man's bodily 
and spiritual nature, it is most surely a matter of 
wonder and astonishment that he can enjoy that 
degree of health, which does actually characterize 
the human species. 

The nature of the relation between the soul and 
body, how the two are connected so as to form one 
such perfect structure as man is, is certainly a mys- 
tery of the deepest kind. 

Allusion has already been made to the doubt 
which formerly prevailed and the consequent dis- 
cussion of the question as to the locality of the soul 
in the body. It being now well known and recog- 
nized, that the body is but the clothing of the soul 
and that hence the latter fills the former, as the body 
fills the clothing of his person, most important 
consequences must follow connected with the body, 
its health and condition, and the consequent treat- 
ment which it should receive whenever subject to 
disorder and disease. The body is but the outward 
manifestation of the soul or inner man, of which it 
is thus the clothing and the two make one as before 



120 The New Philosophy. 

suggested, both intimately connected, a perfect unit 
of two independent parts or factors. 

How to treat this compound system in all its 
earthly relations necessarily becomes a vastly im- 
portant matter of study and knowledge. Thence 
must come largely all the laws of health and cure 
as well as those of mental and physical manage- 
ment, so as to produce that great desideratum of 
existence a sound body for a sound mind. 

The laws of health being thus the outgrowth of 
man's physical and spiritual natures combined, it 
must follow that any disturbance between the two 
must produce corresponding disease. And as all 
disease must be met by its appropriate cure, the 
two must meet on the same plane. And it is very 
evident from the nature of man's composition or 
conformation, that his physical system or factor 
must be necessarily composed of numerous planes 
or degrees extending so to speak, in succession from 
the most interior where the unition of the soul and 
body takes place, thence outwardly through the 
nerves, muscle, flesh, bones and skin until the order 
is complete. At any and all of these stages or 
planes disease may come in, caused by some of the 
many obstructions or disease-imparting agencies 



The New PJiilosofiJiy. 121 

which beset man at all points. To an effective cure 
of such, a treatment appropriate to the disease at 
its origin must be applied. Hence becomes neces- 
sary a corresponding delicate preparation of any 
curative remedy, so as to meet the disease at its in- 
nermost point of beginning or at its inition. The 
lack or want of such a preparation must be the ex- 
planation for all "incurable" diseases, no medicine 
of sufficient refinement being yet discovered to 
reach the initial point of disturbance. In the his- 
tory of the healing art, progress is being made to 
meet this want, though largely in ignorance of the 
manner in which the object is effected. As the true 
relation of body and soul comes to be more fully 
understood and recognized by the faculty, we may 
naturally expect a great advance to be made, until 
it may come at last to be found out that no such 
thing as an incurable disease exists. 

Just where or at what point in the refinement of 
matter the body and soul unite, it may not be possi- 
ble for man to ascertain. Whether or not there 
may be a more refined or inner organ or system 
than the nervous remains to be seen or determined. 
As bearing on the great law of health and cure, it 

is a vastly important question for decision, for wher- 
10 



122 The New Philosophy, 

ever may be the most refined point of matter in the 
human system, there must necessarily be the point 
necessary to be met by a correspondingly refined 
remedy and a relatively infinitesimal dose. To as- 
certain the truth of these matters is now an essential 
fact, to determine the origin or beginning of any 
disease in the system, and thence its outward prog- 
ress, and the consequent adaptation of remedies to 
meet it. To a certain and perfect cure the medicine 
must be of a character to meet the disease at its 
initiatory point, a degree of refinement in the dose 
to correspond with that of the organ or part of the 
body where the disease originates. 

In the remarks now made a ready explanation is 
found for that large class of diseases originating or 
produced by strictly or exclusively mental causes. 
The fact is very generally recognized like all other 
mental phenomena. But why and how a bodily 
disease results from merely mental causes is as yet 
an unsolved enigma. Like all those great mental 
facts that find an explanation solely by reference to 
that still more insolvable enigma of the "imagina- 
tion," this too, has an equally unexplainable and 
inexplicable theory for its existence. Why should 
or in what manner does a merely mental fact of 



The New Philosophy, 123 

grief or joy or other emotion affect the health of the 
body, and produce as it does, a sudden death per- 
haps, or a long protracted disease, or it may be a 
cure from a long continued sickness ? 

The theory advanced affords the explanation. The 
emotion is wholly spiritual and of course enters the 
body at its initiatory point of unition with the soul, 
and thus impregnates the whole system with its dis- 
tinctive infecting quality, which, in its outward 
progress, produces the most distinct effects of a kind 
corresponding to its origin, whether of health or 
disease. 

Among those cures thus effected are also em- 
braced a large class so frequently produced instan- 
taneously or more or less suddenly by mediumistic 
or mesmeric agency, the existence of which as yet 
is but partially and to a slight degree acknowledged 
by the public. But that such cures are very fre- 
quently effected is too well known to be denied. 
How, or in what particular manner each cure is 
effected may not be generally explained, save that 
by means of the strong sphere of the medium 
healing influences of a spiritual nature are brought 
around the patient, producing a corresponding allevi- 
ation or cure of the disease in the manner and on 



J 24 The New Philosophy* 

the principles already described. The more inter- 
nal the disease, the more nearly in its origin that it 
approaches the mental or spiritual part of one's sys- 
tem, of course the more effective will be the spirit- 
ualistic or mediumistic remedy, while all that class of 
diseases having an external origin alone, like exter- 
nal wounds to the flesh and accidental bodily inju- 
ries, may not be subject to the like beneficial treat- 
ment. But even in such cases so thorougly im- 
pregnated with the great spiritual element is every 
man's entire system, the spiritual or mental remedy 
may even reach the most external injury or disease 
as is often the case. 

Another important agency in the work of cure, 
but yet, however, little understood, is the applica- 
tion of electricity in one form and another to the 
treatment of disease. What is this new agent, as 
it were, which has come to play so important a part 

in human affairs, whence its origin and mode of 
operation, seem to require a full and separate con- 
sideration. Not only has it come to be one of the 
effective agents in the promotion of health and cure 
as well as prevention of disease, but in a thousand 
other ways has it already come to be one of man's 
greatest helpers in the work of life and in the pro- 
motion of its industries. 



ELECTRICITT. 

The older members of the present generation can 
well remember with what utter incredulity and dis- 
belief were the first demonstrations, connected with 
the uses of electricity met and opposed. Being 
altogether unlike any and all previous experiences, 
and different from all the facts of science as then 
known, they were readily denounced as false, im- 
possible and absurd. And when, after outliving all 
disbelief and opposition, and overcoming all doubt 
by actual demonstration, the telegraph had won its 
way to universal acknowledgement on land, its 
transmarine possibilities had an equally strong and 
universal disbelief to overcome, even in the minds 
of the most learned and scientific men of the day. 
Nothing less than absolute demonstration evidenced 
by constant practice has brought the world to be- 
lieve in the truth of electric possibilities, even to 
the extent already accomplished, while the same 
incredulity still exists, as at first, in all future ad- 
vances from the present standpoint of success. 



126 The New Philosophy, 

And yet the whole thing is still a mystery as deep 
and unexplainable as when first exhibited and before 
success followed. How instantaneous communica- 
tion and transmission of news are effected over land 
and across seas, between the most widely separated 
portions of the world's surface, is utterly unexplain- 
able save that it is the quality of electricity to pro- 
duce such results. Like dreams and other spiritual 
phenomena, electrical exhibitions are accounted for 
as simply the product of nature, caused by some 
law in accordance with which it has existence. 

But when it is considered that every effect has its 
adequate cause, such a general explanation is most 
unsatisfactory and absurd. 

In looking for the great underlying cause and na- 
ture of the electrical element and its phenomena, it 
has undoubtedly occurred to every reflective mind, 
which has a belief in spiritual existence, how strik- 
ingly they illustrate or resemble one great phase of 
spirit life. With all such there naturally exists a 
spontaneous belief in the fact, that space, such as 
exists in nature, has no real existence there, but that 
thought with affection gives presence, while the op- 
posite disjoins and separates. It is this spontaneous 
principle alone that gives all or any expectation or 



The New Philoso^Jiy. 127 

hope of friends meeting again after death. On no 
other can any thought of reunion in the future be 
based. And yet no sentiment is more universal 
than that friends and companions on earth, will, at 
death, at once meet those of their number who have 
gone before. The only explanation of ail this, is 
found in the fact that space is only an appearance 
and has no actual extstence in the other life. Like 
as thought can travel in words from Japan to New 
York over the wire with the rapidity that it can 
pass through the mind, so in spirit land a corre- 
sponding result is produced, by actual presence 
accompanying the desire and affection. 

Following this idea, the suggestive thought is 
born into the mind that there is a close relation or 
correspondence between the incorporeal agent of 
which we are speaking and that great law of spir- 
itual existence, that there is no real space in the 
other life but only the appearance of such. The 
evanescent character of the electric agent, unlike 
all else in the world, would seem to take it out from 
the category or list of natural objects as a subject of 
investigation. Indeed it can hardly be ranked as 
such in any respect. Per se it has no natural qual- 
ity susceptible to any of man's senses and is only 



128 The New Philosophy, 

perceptible in its results or effects. In all its char- 
acteristics it is spiritual and most intimately con- 
nected with spiritual substance or existence. In 
itself, not subiect to any of a man's senses, it is gov- 
erned by no natural laws, save those which it pre- 
scribes for itself and these only in its application to 
what we may call the machinery of life. It is not 
an earthly production or of earthly origin, for it is 
equally diffused throughout all space, the inhabitant 
of the clouds and the atmosphere, reaching to the 
sun, and accompanying every comet as it makes its 
way through the illimitable fields of space and hav- 
ing no limit short of the extreme boundaries of the 
universe. It has no natural feature or characteristic, 
but is simply a power without form or substance, 
ever present every where, ever inactive and quiet 
save only as it may be called into action by those 
agents which seem especially created to call for its 
manifestation. Like life itself, its subtle existence 
can be ascribed to no natural origin, is independent 
of nature and above it and all its laws and condi- 
tions, though of a quality to be affected by them. 

While it is a power universally working in nature 
and through it, its source is above nature, using 
the earth and the sun and all the planetary domain 



The New Philosophy. 129 

merely as its sphere or field of dominion and oper- 
ation, rising itself and existing superior to all ma- 
terial things and creations. The most that can be 
said of it, in explanation of its character, is that it 
is a power working in nature and through nature, 
but having its source above all nature and co-existent 
and co-extensive with life itself. But like life it can 
be naturalized and made subservient to this world's 
use. All its laws however are spiritual laws, sub- 
servient to natural laws only so far as in its nature 
it becomes an agent in their productive work. 

Such being the character of this great element or 
power of life, what else can it be than an exhibi- 
tion in nature of a great spiritual organ or quality, 
a link in the chain, or the chain itself, which binds 
together the two great factors of the life of the uni- 
verse. As such an instrument of spirit, working 
through nature, what may we not expect to derive 
from its agency. Already the world is teeming 
with inventions of the greatest importance and value 
derived from this great motive and universal power. 
Not only has it become the great postal servant of 
the public in the diffusion of information through 
telegraphic and telephonic agencies, but it is fast 

coming to take the place of all other motive oower 
17 



130 The New Philosophy, 

for the purposes of travel and propulsion of machin- 
ery, to the displacement in a great measure, of 
waterfalls and steam engines. As an instrument in 
the work of lighting, it is fast displacing other 
means, to a certain extent, of dispelling darkness 
and diffusing artificial light in our cities, towns and 
public edifices, as well as private residences. It has 
already demonstrated its agency in the regulation of 
the weather, its storms and its calms, and the ele- 
ments are found to be largely under its control and 
command. Health and disease are promoted or 
dissipated according as its laws and demands are 
are kept or violated, and in a word all Nature is to 
a great degree kept alive and in vigor by its con- 
stant flow of inner life through outward forms of 
existence. Whether or not it be true as suggested 
by a recent writer, that "the vital principle is ident- 
ical with electricity," all things plainly teach that it 
is in its inherent quality a spiritual agent, diffused 
through nature as one of the great connecting bands 
which bind together the two great factors of the 
universe. As such it is endowed with vast capa- 
bilities for the support and perfecting of nature's 
works in all its realms, including mankind and all 
other grades of life. Its possibilities and ultimate 



The New Philosophy, 131 

results can only be known by its future develop- 
ments. Enough however is already demonstrated 
to compel the conclusion, that through its agency, 
the natural world is impregnated with the life and 
power of the inner or spiritual world. As such an 
agent we may reasonably expect the grandest results 
from its operations, as man shall come to know how 
fully to utilize its force and how to apply it to the 
machinery of the world and life in its fullest extent. 



EDUCATION. 

As bearing on the great work of Education, using 
that word in its most extensive sense, the relation 
of the two worlds to each other, as now suggested, 
is of the greatest importance. We are thus taught, 
by a knowledge of this relation, of not only the 
great use and object of all knowledge, but also the 
best and surest means and methods of obtaining it. 

The very idea of two lives, lived by every one 
here, in two different worlds at the same time, 
plainly teaches that of the two, that which is ever- 
lasting and never ending is in importance relatively 
the all of life, when compared with the short term 
lived here. To the future all life in this world is 
merely subsidiary or educational, the school-day of 
boyhood, which has its practical use in the prepa- 
ration which it makes for the active years of man- 
hood and age. As such school-day should be util- 
ized in the work of preparation for after years, so 
should this life's years be spent with a due regard 
to the life of the future, with the conscious convic- 



The New Philosophy. 133 

tion that whatever of true knowledge we store up 
here, we shall enjoy there. As one's academic 
education to a greater or less extent governs and 
controls his maturer years, so we must conclude 
that his life in this world must in like manner cor- 
respondingly influence and effect his life in the fu- 
ture, its uses, employments and enjoyments. 

We speak here not of any theological or even 
moral idea as such, but merely in a practical, phil- 
osophical manner, eschewing all theological notions 
and teachings. 

If the man be the same being in the future as he 
is in the present, how can he fail to be enriched and 
benefited in that future by his acquirements here, 
in all matters of a mental, intellectual and spiritual 
nature. No reversal in the order of his existence 
can be expected to be wrought by the mere separa- 
tion of his soul from his body, however much he 
may justly hope for and realize in the way of ad- 
vancement in the same general line. 

We have thus taught, as one at least of the great 
objects and uses of education here, the practical 
preparation for the uses as well as employments of 
the life to come, for it can not be supposed from 
what we know of man here and his real nature. 



134 The New Philosophy. 

that the future is to be a life of inactivity and list- 
lessness. The true order here is a life of practical 
use and activity. Such is seen to be the case in the 
very earliest days of infancy, contiuned through all 
the weeks of youth, the months of boyhood and 
years of mature age. Nor can it be supposed that 
when old age is supplemented by a life beyond and 
the body is laid aside, that the spirit of activity and 
usefulness is laid aside with it, to be succeeded by 
an eternity of idleness. There is nothing in "death" 
that can for a moment lend encouragement to any 
such idea, but rather that man continues there as 
here, to live a life of use. As thus we would here 
in early years provide for our manhood life, so dur- 
ing our earth life it behoves us to prepare for the 
future by such educational means as we may have 
the privilege to command in our favorite and chosen 
employment. Not that our employments there are 
to be of the same kind as here, but only such as 
spiritually correspond and agree with these, and 
our genuine character. This may we naturally 
conclude to be the case from what we know of our- 
selves and especially of the relation which exists 
between our internal and external natures. 



The New Philosophy. J35 

Being thus made aquainted with one of the great 
uses and objects of knowledge and education, we 
are naturally interested to know how the great end 
of acquiring them is best secured or promoted. If 
the relation of the two worlds be as suggested i it 
would seem to follow as a natural result that the 
acquisition of them must necessarily be largely de- 
pendent upon the relation thus existing. 

The earnest desire and pursuit of any particular 
object of search naturally brings around the student 
the correspondingly earnest sphere desired and the 
consequent result sought for. This influx is con- 
stantly realized by every scholar who enters upon 
his study with zeal and application, though his suc- 
cess is universally credited to his genius and schol- 
arship. His previous acquirements and mental 
characteristics of course help largely in the success, 
just as the perfectness of the machine aids in that of 
the work performed. But as in the case of the ma- 
chine nothing can be accomplished without a pro- 
pelling power, so even the well stored mind is 
equally unable to exhibit the master work of authors 
and writers without the great underlying power of 
attendant spheres operating on the mind. It is to 
this that credit is to be given and not merely to one's 



136 The New Philosophy, 

unaided intellect or reason. The spiritual associa- 
tion or aura of each is the mighty power working 
upon the intellect, with its acquirements and thus 
producing the rich results. 

That the inspired thoughts of our poets, the grand 
developments of science and demonstrations of art, 
the wonderful exhibitions of the scholars, the think- 
ers, the scientists and artists of the world are all the 
result of unaided human intellect is a problem too 
mighty to be credited, too impossible to be advo- 
cated. Thoughts inflowing from those of a higher 
order of life come to the seeking mind and find a 
ready expression through the language and acts of 
the seeker who unknowingly courts their aid and 
presence. At other times they come unsought in 
hours of sleep and in moments of listlessness and 
simply ask of the inspired author the use of his 
hand to pen on paper or otherwise execute the rich 
thought thus imparted for the good of humanity or 
the world's enjoyment. 

As bearing on the great question of education it 
is readily seen how important a factor is this great 
spiritual agency in the work of dissemination. 
What a power is thus constantly ready and ever at 
command of all who seek its aid, the great propel- 



TJie New P7iiloso£7iy. 137 

ling power of the underlying machinery of human 
life ! How one can take advantage of this great 
factor of education is readily seen to consist in util- 
izing the means thus afforded by courting its aid 
with zeal and listening to its suggestions as they 
come into the mind. 



18 



LA W OF LIFE. 

But this subject has a far mightier and more im- 
portant phase than any yet expressed. The world 
was evidently not produced by chance. In what- 
ever manner it came into existence, the great law of 
order and design prevailed in every step of its prog- 
ress. Not" only do the individual parts but the 
grand aggregate of the whole and their mutual rela- 
tions to each other, all bespeak the operation of a 
great and universal law, dominant in their origin, 
and in their continuance and in their government. 
The great law of cause and effect is found every 
where and constantly at work, with strictest har- 
mony and uniformity. Apparent exceptions occa- 
sionally present themselves, but how T ever unexplain- 
able at the time, they are all found to be the true 
and unquestioned results of the one same great un- 
varying law. So strictly true is all this, that philos- 
ophers may from present data foretell for centuries 
to come, and relate for centuries past, the exact and 
precise occurrence of natural events with as entire 



The New Philosophy. 139 

certainty as they can detect their present existence. 
This is confessedly true of all phenomena occurring 
at stated intervals of recurrence, and is no less true 
of all others, though the law governing them may 
not yet have been discovered by man. In the great 
law's operation, there is no accident or "chance" as 
it is called, no unnatural result, however often inter- 
posing obstacles may seem to produce such in the 
affairs of life. 

The law is uniform in its working and when in- 
terrupted by interposing obstacles, may produce, as 
it often does, what we call accidental consequences, 
these being the true indicators of the law's infrac- 
tion and its appropriate remedy. As in railroad- 
ing, the derailment of the engine indicates the fault 
of the road's construction or the train's government, 
and the appropriate remedy to be applied, so in all 
of nature's operations every accident or misventure 
bespeaks some unlawful interference, suggestive of 
its own removal. The accident is the indicator at 
the same time both of the disease and its cure. But 
no more certain is this the case in matters of a nat- 
ural, than in those of a mental or spiritual charac- 
ter. The law which governs the revolutions of suns 
and systems of worlds is no more exact in its opera- 



140 The New Philosophy. 

tions and unexceptional in its results, than is that 
which cares for and governs the shortest lived ani- 
malcule and the minutest object of creation. And 
the same great law controls, with equal carefulness, 
all the operations of the mind and functions of spirit 
life. The law of the whole is indeed one and the 
same, different chapters and sections of the one 
universal code, varying only as the different subjects, 
to which the law is applicable, require, but ever 
maintaining the character of a single enactment. 

The fundamental underlying basis of this great 
system of law is that of the spiritual world. From 
thence the natural is derived, like as the province is 
governed by the law of its parent state. The nat- 
ural is but the outbirth of the spiritual, the outer 
development of the inner self, both working in har- 
mony and constituting a single unit of being. As 
with the individual man his soul and body consti- 
tute but one existence, the latter corresponding with 
the former in all its particulars, so with the universe 
of nature and its great soul of inner life, one uni- 
versal law pervades and governs all, varying only 
as the character, needs and appliances of the respec- 
tive subdivisions make necessary. All true philos- 
ophy must so treat the subject in order to reach any 



The New Philosophy. J 41 

accurate and reliable results, in any matter involv- 
ing mental, spiritual or natural causes or effects. So 
far as any system fails to do so, or falls short of this, 
so far are its conclusions imperfect, deceptive and 
misleading. 

The great system of natural and spiritual life 
combined may be justly regarded, according to hu- 
man conception as a machine, working in all its 
parts with the utmost harmony and success, wher- 
ever and whenever its true course is not intercepted. 
As such machine it may justly be called or have ap- 
plied to it the term of "locomotive," working-in- 
place, wherever that place may be, throughout the 
grand system of worlds and the planetary system, 
in the multifarious business of man's life in this 
world or in the minor affairs of insectivorous life, 
as also in all the various occurrences of the outer 
world of nature, its fields and woods, its waters and 
atmospheres and all other departments. As such 
machine, its great propelling or motive power, al- 
ways working in place, is that of the inner or spir- 
itual world, ever acting constantly upon the machin- 
ery of the outer world, upon all the objects of nature 
and through the minds of mankind upon their phys- 
ical systems. So far as it is allowed to act freely 



142 The New Philosophy. 

and according to its own laws unobstructed and 
unopposed, the legitimate results prevail, and so far, 
and so far only, as that work is intercepted or turned 
aside, misfortune and ill-success result, indicating the 
cause and perhaps the remedy, if only are the symp- 
toms carefully investigated and their indications re- 
garded. 

The theory now advanced being admitted as true, 
it must necessarily follow, as an axiom of the sys- 
tem, that the laws and facts of natural and spiritual 
life respectively must correspond with each other, 
like as must all causes correspond with their effects 
and vice versa. Such being the case, as in all mat- 
ters of scientific research, we have a ready means 
afforded not only for the study of these laws and 
facts, but for the ascertainment of their nature and 
their qualities and mode of operation. To this end 
we have a two-fold rule of investigation, according 
as we proceed in our enquiries from the external 
internally or the reverse. Judging of causes from 
their effects and of effects from their causes, the 
uniformity of the two gives us the most ample 
means of detecting the laws of the system, provided 
only the labor is pursued with sincerity and patience. 



The New Philosophy, 143 

A new and vast field of investigation is thus thrown 
open to human effort and acquirement. 

The uniformity and oneness of all natural and 
spiritual facts thus becomes a law of creation, gov- 
erning all things, and its study is the beginning of 
all wisdom and all science, a sine-qua-non of real 
success in any search for the origin and true nature 
of every phenomenon of either a physical or mental 
character. When fully understood, no facts remain 
unexplained or make necessary their reference to 
any imaginary cause for an explanation. As readily 
explainable as are the rising and setting of the sun, 
the happening of storms, or the growth of plants, 
are all mental and physical phenomena, when once 
the great law of which we now speak, is known 
and recognized. 

Order. 

An investigation into this law of universal life and 
its various provisions, readily brings us to the con- 
clusion that foremost among its characteristics is the 
factor of order so plainly impressed on all things 
and events. "Order is Heaven's first law," and this 
too, in no figurative or metaphorical sense alone, 
but in absolute truth. As a result or consequence 



144 The New Philosophy. 

of this principle in its application to the affairs of 
human life, success is a sure concomitant of obe- 
dience to it, and on the contrary all accidents, mis- 
ventures, misfortunes and ill luck are equally the 
result of its violation. Like as the machine, to 
which the existence of this world has been likened, 
when out of repair or prevented in its work, leads 
to disaster and perhaps death, so with the great law 
of life its violation is productive of evil and danger. 
But the tendency of all natural and spiritual law 
is to correct disorder and remedy the evils of its 
infraction. Unlike the machine of human inven- 
tion, capable of overcoming its wrong working only 
to the limited extent for which its inventor had pre- 
pared it, the machinery of the universe knows no 
limit to its power of rectifying its defective opera- 
tion caused by antagonizing forces. So that noth- 
ing is more common in the experience of the world 
than that the operation of the law, when vio- 
lated or contemned, seems to produce, instead of 
corresponding evil, the opposite good to the public 
or the violator So strikingly is this the case, that 
it has become a well known maxim that "God over- 
rules evil for good." And such is the apparent 
truth. But however true it may be, the maxim 



The New Philosophy. 145 

should, in its consideration, be so modified as to 
take away all idea of a special Providence in such 
cases, it being only the uniform work of the law 
which governs the universe. Instead of any special 
interposition producing the favorable results, this is 
caused by the law's legitimate action in overruling 
the interposing obstruction for good, and the result 
is the direct consequence of the law's appropriate 
work, the law being such, perhaps, as has had the 
effect to utilize the wrong interposed so as to mag- 
nify the good resultant. 

How evil w T orks its own cure, how good comes 
from bad beginnings, how misfortunes eventuate in 
success, and direst calamities ultimate in signal 
blessings, all so frequent in the world's history, has 
always been an enigma of the most puzzling kind. 
The great law of life already alluded to is their 
full and complete explanation, the great law of uni- 
versal and permanent order. The evil is the result 
of disorder, which it is the direct object and ten- 
dency of the law to rectify and turn to good. 

Use. 

Another characteristic and important vital func- 
tion of the law now discussed, is use, a quality or 

19 



146 The New Philoso£7iy, 

principle ever working in closest intimacy and con- 
nection with that of order. The great machine 
has no other end or object but this, and in all its 
workings, whether in matters of a mental or phys- 
ical kind, or of a spiritual or natural, no other result 
is its end or design. Only so far as the proper 
working of the law is interrupted by interposing or 
antagonizing influences, does aught else than use, 
real use, prevail. In the business of the world, man 
often, by his careless, wicked or accidental efforts, 
causes the law to be interrupted in its true operation 
and the result is the opposite of use or success. This 
is constantly seen in the every day transactions of the 
business world. To this cause are to be attributed 
all the great failures in trade and enterprise, all acci- 
dents and misfortunes and every other calamity con- 
nected with man's social andactivelife. Instead of use 
being the object in such unfortunate undertakings, 
other and improper motives and objects will be 
found to be the propelling or controlling power or 
in some way connected therewith, producing the 
evil result. 

In all the affairs of life the great law of use pre- 
vails, not turned aside by interposing obstacles and 
disorder, but as it were, overriding them, and perhaps 



The New Philosophy. \\>J 

using them to promote the ultimate end of good. 
Such, however, may not be seen to be the direct or 
immediate effect of the law's operation. A long 
time, it may be, will elapse and generations of men 
pass away before the evil eventuates in the use which 
the operation of the law may produce. But still it 
is no less certain that the operation of the law will 
be and has been of the nature suggested. The con- 
quests of an Alexander, a Caesar and a Napoleon, 
the burning of martyrs, the scenes of witchcraft, 
the acknowledged crimes of the early Papal See, 
and other enormities committed all along through 
the centuries of history, as well as the smaller and 
more insignificant crimes of an individual nature, 
being all violations of the great law in question, 
have all had a use in helping at least to provide a 
remedy for the evils which led to the disorderly acts 
committed. The evil has thus been utilized in 
effecting its own cure or removal, and perhaps of the 
whole class connected with it. Throughout the 
whole, the great machine keeps on its even way in 
its unvarying course, working good and use out of 
evil and promoting the former by an uniform and 
never failing process. 



14S The New Philosophy. 

The Law's Operation. 

Use and order being thus the great factors or 
fundamental qualities of the universal law of crea- 
tion and life, it must necessarily follow that the 
greatest good of all is its end and design, and con- 
sequently the elevation of man in the scale of being 
must follow its enactment. However much evil 
may seem to prevail at any particular occasion or 
place, however disasters and reverses may appear 
to happen or increase in the affairs of life, yet the 
great result is ever found to be a corresponding ele- 
vation of the species and consequent good and hap- 
piness. A review of the history of the past and of 
the successive generations of mankind as a whole, 
a comparison of the present with the ages that have 
gone, have but a single story to tell of the constant 
and unvarying elevation of the human species and 
of all natural existence in the scale of being. Such 
is the constant and unchanging work of the law, 
the law of life, having its beginning and foundation 
in the land of spirit and emanating thence and work- 
ing through all the departments of natural and phys- 
ical existence. 

How important it is that mankind shall become 
acquainted with this great law and learn its require- 



The New PhilosofJiy. 149 

merits and conditions, follows as a conclusion of no 
doubtful character. That he can know the whole 
however is a proposition readily seen to be impossi- 
ble. The power that framed it can alone compre- 
hend it and we may readily conclude that with man 
eternity alone can accomslish the end of finding it 
out. But according as a man's state and condition 
here demands its exercise we may readily recognize 
his power of acquainting himself with its provis- 
ions and requirements. To this extent the means 
are provided for every honest seeker. 

To this end man's reason is one great promoter 
of the knowledge thus sought to be attained. By a 
true and faithful exercise of this faculty in conjunc- 
tion with his other qualities, man is able to make 
great progress in the acquirement, if only honestly 
exercised. 

Man has also implanted in his nature an ever act- 
ive principle, teaching and instructing him constantly 
in the knowledge of the law in question and its re- 
quirement on all subjects submitted to him for his 
action or adoption. It is born with his birth and 
ends only with his life, ever present and faithful, if 
only its teachings are followed and its injunctions 
obeyed. Its existence has ever been recognized 



150 The New Philosophy. 

though not classed in the connection now treated of. 
Known as "conscience" its teachings have ever, by 
moralists and masters, been invoked as important 
to be heeded. 

The nature and quality of these two factors of 
man's nature have already been treated of in the 
previous pages, to which reference is now made. 
The great surrounding spiritual sphere or aura 
which encompasses all the inhabitants of earth, is a 
constant teacher to them of the great law of life in 
its application to every act or motive presented to 
them for adoption. According as they follow or ig- 
nore the suggestion, with a wise understanding and 
an honest intention, success awaits them or the 
reverse. 

But however important and useful it may be for 
man to know and become familiar with the law 
which thus governs his life and conduct, yet it has 
to be confessed that as a general fact he is utterly 
ignorant of its existence. His reason and "con- 
science" however, have to a greater or less extent, 
taught him of its requirements and exactions. Like 
as the ignorant and unenlightened citizen, knowing 



The New PJiilosophy. 151 

nothing of the statutes of his State or Nation, is yet 
found living in obedience to them through the 
knowledge which his reason and common sense im- 
part to him. But as with the citizen thus living on 
in ignorance, a minute acquaintance with the Leg- 
islative requirements is most useful and desirable, 
so with mankind generally, vast good, not other- 
wise accessible, must be the result of an intimate 
knowledge of the law which governs his life. 

Practical Application of Law. 

Having thus far spoken generally of the law now 
treated of and its authoritative character, a more par- 
ticular application of the subject, to the practical 
uses of life, seems to be called for or at least made 
appropriate. 

The proposition submitted is that there is an all 
pervading universal law, having its enactment and 
beginning in the spiritual world, and thence emanat- 
ing into the natural, governing all things natural 
and spiritual, animate and inanimate, man and all 
inferior beings and all events of nature and of life, — 
that this law is uniform in its operation, working 
constantly for the greatest good of all, promotive of 
and founded in order and having use for its end and 



152 The New Philosophy. 

aim ; — that so far as this law is obeyed, success is its 
uniform result, and all accidents, misfortunes, mis- 
ventures and ill luck are the direct and inevitable 
consequences of its violation ;— that these latter are 
the indicators of such violations and have a direct 
tendency and object to vindicate the law and thereby 
lead to correction ; — that man while alive in this 
world is constantly, through impressions upon his 
mind, made acquainted with the provisions and re- 
quirements of the law, and as he acts in accord- 
ance with them, success attends his actions so far 
as these are not impeded in their legal course and 
not interfered with by antagonizing influences. 

Many instances have already been cited as work- 
ings of this law in the ordinary course of business 
and other departments of human life. Manifold 
others from every day experience might be added, 
for our lives are full of them, however unmindful 
we may be of them. The heed so often coming 
into the mind just in season to prevent misfortune, 
if obeyed, or as a forerunner of disaster when dis- 
obeyed, is a circumstance often in the experience of 
every one. The timely suggestion so often, when 
heeded, preceding good luck or success is no unus- 
ual event in every man's business, while the oft heard 



The New PhilosofiJiy. 153 

regret expressed by man in times of misfortune, 
that he would that he had followed his better thought 
or judgment, before adopting an adventurous experi- 
ment, is a matter of every day's experience. Such 
and the numerous other instances so common to the 
knowledge of all, to which allusion has already 
been made, are all the results, direct and unmistak- 
able of the law's operation in human history. The 
modus operandi of the law may be and frequently 
is diverse, sometimes acting direct upon the object, 
and at others indirectly through natural or spiritual 
agencies, which, as parts of the one great machine, 
help on the grand result. "All are but parts of one 
united whole." 

And it is not solely in human affairs that the oper- 
ation of the law in question is seen. All nature is 
a constant exhibition of its work. The growth of 
plants and trees and all other objects of vegetable 
life have through and according to the operation of 
this law, their full explanation and continued sup- 
port. Every variety of plant life is thus taught as 
it were, its distinct lesson, ever reproducing itself 
and maintaining its distinctive species, form and 
quality, though improved it may be by cultivation 

or other treatment. The same is true of all ani- 
20 



154 The New Philosophy. 

mal life, the most obscure and uneducated individ- 
uals of which have implanted .in their nature in 
accordance with the law in question, all the knowl- 
edge necessary for their subsistence and support, as 
well as the perpetuation of their species respectively. 
The bee, the ant, the butterfly and every other class 
of insectiverous life have a wisdom past finding out, 
whereby all their wants are supplied and their race 
continued. The fish brought into existence in some 
inland lake or stream and thence transported to the 
broad ocean, readily finds its way back to its birth 
place through all the intricacies of the intervening 
waters, over its falls, through its dams and fishways 
and along its circuitous passage for miles and it may 
be hundred of miles away. The bird is equally 
skilled in being able fortunately and seasonably to 
time its departure for warmer climes as the cold of 
winter approaches and with the warmth of spring 
to find its way back to the familiar tree where its 
birdling birth took place. The carrier pigeon taken 
in his cage over a long course of travel, by car or 
ship and let loose in a strange land, at once rises in 
the air and with the accuracy of a surveyor's needle, 
pursues his course direct to the point of departure 
hundreds of miles distant. The cat and dog, those 



The New PhilosofiJiy. 155 

useful attendants of domestic life, constantly exhibit 
most marked instances of a wisdom almost human 
in its character. Being secretly removed for long 
distances from home in a strange land how quick- 
ly and directly will they find their old haunts 
against all the difficulties and discouragements of 
unknown roads and intervening streams. The horse 
and the ox often exhibit like remarkable character- 
istics involving an apparent knowledge and wisdom 
which would do credit to the human species. All 
the animals of the forest are clothed with a degree 
of foresight and skill which defies human art to 
fathom or detect. The same great law is found 
teaching all animals in the selection of their food 
appropriate to their nature, and in all their habits 
and modes of life, whereby their race is sustained 
and perpetuated and all necessary comforts of home 
and food provided, and this too, without any pa- 
rental education or example, the artificially hatched 
chicken having all the arts and knowledge necessary 
for its subsistence, the same as if brought into exist- 
ence in the ordinary course of nature. Philosophy, 
when applied to for an explanation of all these re- 
markable phenomena, has naught to say save only 
that such is the "instinct" of the animal, this, like 



I $6 The New Philosophy. 

the ''imagination" with man, being the one, only, 
universal solvent of all enigmas which the subject 
presents. 

The whole is but the working of the one great 
law of life which gives to the plant its origin and 
growth from seed to maturity, — that gives to all 
lower orders of animal life, their several idiosyn- 
crasies of conduct and being and also to the human 
species all those qualities of mind and body which 
make him "the Lord of Creation," and endow him 
with the faculty to do all that he accomplishes here. 

In the lower order of creation, such as has now 
been sketched, where each in freedom exercises its 
own, so called, will, life is what may be called a 
constant and unvarying success. Each member 
comes into existence, lives its ordained life, finding 
its own means of living, and when not interfered 
with or intercepted by extraneous influences, evolv- 
ing the life to which it was born and passing away, 
all in accordance with its real nature. Disease is 
seldom its lot, but what may be called success is the 
uniform concomitant of its being. All this may be 
confidently asserted to be the direct result and con- 
sequence of such animals' strict obedience to the 
suggestions and impressions of their nature, all 



The New Philosophy. 157 

which are but the teachings of the great law of life. 

The law thus successful in its working with the 
lowtr order of animal life, being the same as that 
which governs man in all his affairs, his business em- 
ployments, his pleasures and his social relations, we 
may with confidence assert would be equally efficient 
with the latter, provided it were equally well obeyed 
and honestly practised. The "instinct" which the 
law impregnates with the seed of duty in the case 
of the lower order of animal life, is also a part of 
the human composition, and as in the case of the 
animals spoken of, obedience is followed by success, 
so in the case of man. All that is requisite to suc- 
cess is that the law be obeyed, as taught through the 
medium of man's intellect, and the constant prompt- 
ings, suggestions and impressions from his inner 
self, under the guidance of his reason and "con- 
science." Thus armed and protected, enlightened 
and controlled, prosperity and success may be re- 
garded as a certain result, except so far as the man 
is involved with others and the law is interfered with 
to his injury or prejudice, by those in his association. 

Considering how completely every one is involved 
with the acts and character of others, how little of 
independence any one has in and of himself alone, 



158 The New Philosophy. 

one might conclude, with a great deal of truth, that 
at his best, man can accomplish but little here under 
the law in question. But although this be true in 
reasoning, yet the conclusion is not so absolute. An 
individual may in a great degree, while engaged in 
business, so far free himself from the control of 
others, as to live according to the law', with the as- 
surance of success. This however may not be the 
success for which he strives, but one of a very differ- 
ent character perhaps, but notwithstanding real and 
enjoyable. 

Mankind, however, are so complicated with each 

other in their worldlv relations and as a mass so 

j 

make up a joint whole of individual existence, that 
it is often impossible for one to act independently of 
the rest and is hence compelled to suffer with others 
the result of a common disaster. He who commits 
himself to the custody of the railway conductor 
must share with others the danger which that con- 
ductor's carelessness may bring upon the train. And 
so it is with all the business of life. But yet it very 
frequently occurs that in such disasters the "inno- 
cent" party's presence is realized to be in violation of 
a most distinct impression, that that especial train 
should be avoided, a violation which makes the 



The New Philoso^Jiy* J59 

party in truth no longer innocent in the view now 
taken of the subject. 

Few are fully if at all aware how large a part of 
all their good fortune in the world is the result of 
the direct operation of the law now discussed. It 
is seen in that prosperity which is so often found to 
attend upon the man of honest aims and intentions, 
having it may be no particular skill or knowledge 
in the eye of the world, but who rigidly pursues 
the right as impressed on his inner consciousness, 
without reasoning or outward advice, according to 
his own convictions of duty. Unconsciously and of 
course from an inherent sense of justice he performs 
all the duties of his station and lives a happy and 
prosperous life, though he may not accumulate 
wealth or any other useless luxury. Such an one is 
successful because he is as it were in the line of the 
law, or as it is expressed by a distinguished author, 
"in the stream of Divine Providence." 

Nor are many conscious of the constant influence 
and pressure even, under which they live in reference 
to all the incidents of life, and how constantly they 
are plied with thoughts bearing on their contemplated 
course of business or pleasure. But such all have, 
to a greater or less degree, arising from the appli- 



160 The New Philosophy. 

cation, and we may say enforcement, of the law 
now defined. The impressions alluded to come 
unsought and indeed unnoticed and are consequently 
most frequently disregarded and repulsed, often to 
their great detriment and perhaps loss of life itself. 
The same consciousness of duty comes to the man 
as comes to the bird or fish or other animal, which 
these obey and are successful, but which he perhaps 
ignores and suffers. Striking instances of this class 
of experiences are often exhibited in the daily busi- 
ness of life, as all will realize, if only their mental 
states are watched and noted. How often are the 
most important events of a man's whole existence 
introduced and based upon a fact of the simplest 
and most minute character, which at the time did 
not attract the attention or thought even, of the 
party. How has the whole course of life, one's 
long journey, or his permanent settlement or his 
amassed wealth, his high official station or other 
important result, been the outgrowth of a single 
word carelessly dropped, or a minute act unthink- 
ingly noticed, but which afterwards, like the mustard 
seed, has grown up to be a great tree bearing the 
richest fruit. In matters of minor importance this 
kind of experience is constantly taking place, the 



The New Philosophy. 161 

very frequency of which causes the whole to be 
unnoticed, or, if noticed at all, ascribed to accident 
or chance and having no importance. With the 
masses this is most frequently the case, that the 
whole is thoughtlessly overlooked and not for a 
moment entertained. With certain individuals these 
transient, evanescent thoughts are retained and made 
matters of reflection or meditation and in some cases 
pursued to advantage in the acquisition of wealth 
or notoriety or other signal blessing. These are 
all the workings of the great law now considered, 
showing the great importance which exists with 
man to watch and guard his thoughts and impres- 
sions if only he would act in accordance with his 
duty and derive the greatest benefit from the means 
afforded for the government of his conduct and act- 
ions here. Under the guidance of reason and good 
"conscience" one can hardly imagine the great ben- 
efit to be derived from a due regard and attention 
to the suggestions, thus coming from his inner self 
through his spiritual association, on almost every 
subject connected with his business and worldly 
relations. 

Every thing in the life of man, whenever or how- 
ever occurring, has more or less to do with his good 

31 



162 The New Philosophy. 

or ill fortune, as bearing on the result of his life's 
work and end. Every act and thought has its ten- 
dency to elevate or depress, to improve or debase 
his condition in the scale of being. In that scale 
these all serve to lighten or weigh down the life 
which they help to counterbalance. The great ma- 
chine is constantly active, grinding out or producing 
its appropriate result, and every act of the mind and 
body, as it is subjected to its operation, has its effect, 
however minute and unobserved, to help on or re- 
tard the machine's appropriate work. Left to itself 
to act in freedom, unopposed and unimpeded, this 
work is for good, this being the direct result of the 
law's operation ; and even when opposed, the ten- 
dency of the law is to overrule the interposing ob- 
stacle for good, though such tendency is, through 
man's freedom, easily overcome to the injury of the 
party or those connected with him. As an agent 
or helper in behalf of this law, in its operation 
and enforcement, the great spiritual sphere, which 
constantly surrounds all human individuals, is one 
and the chief executive power by the various meth- 
ods described in the previous pages of this essay. 
|^ The practical working of the law and its attend- 
ant agencies is found in its application to the affairs 



The New Philosophy. 163 

of every day life. It teaches man to pay more par- 
ticular heed to the suggestions which so continually 
come into his mind in moments of listlessness or of 
care, or in connection with particular items or 
courses of business or other worldly matters. These 
all have more or less importance, either as warn- 
ings or as instructors in the line of one's duty. If 
properly treated or heeded the greatest good may 
come almost unawares at times and apparently in 
the most accidental manner to the party, while if 
ignored or opposed a certain evil is found to follow. 
How frequent is the experience which all receive in 
the apparently accidental aid which comes as it 
were unsought in the various engagements or occu- 
pations of life, indicative of an unseen and unrec- 
ognized helper in the cause at heart ! A strong de- 
sire for certain information brings it to mind or 
leads to facts so connected with it, as to accomplish 
the desired object. A difficult problem is helped to be 
solved by a marvelous thought or a sudden sugges- 
tion coming from an altogether unconscious source. 
Deep thought or close study suggests the want's 
satisfaction. The wish for a particular item of in- 
formation leads perhaps to the accidental taking 
down of the book from one's library, which con- 



164 The JStew Philosophy. 

tains the information sought, or to the suggestion of 
the idea which secures it. The inventor, by his 
deep study and reflection, so charges his mind with 
the idea, that a train of thought is suddenly struck 
which leads to success. The scholar intent on a 
given subject, which he would elucidate, finds his 
mind suddenly illumined with original ideas pro- 
motive of an unexpected and astonishing result. 
Prosperity is thus frequently the outcome of the very 
despondency which follows a sudden reverse in 
business or in social life, the deep thoughtfulness of 
the party »thus unwittingly bringing a cure for the 
very disease which caused it. In like manner, cau- 
tions are dictated when unseen dangers lie in the 
proposed path, and thus safety secured or disaster 
foreseen according as the warning has or not been 
heeded. Man's experience is full of such instances, 
constantly recurring, governing the most insignifi- 
cant as well as the most important events and act- 
ions of his life and work. In proportion as these 
good thoughts and suggestions thus coming into 
the mind are heeded and obeyed, in an honest 
and unselfish spirit, success may be relied upon as 
assured, though the success may be other than that 
looked for or desired. At the same time, it is to be 



The New Philosophy. J65 

noted, that it very often happens that such success 
is actually enjoyed without the party's cognizance 
or knowledge, the heeded suggestion having led to 
safety from a danger altogether unknown either 
after or before the threatened event. The strong 
desire or intent of the robber to do his unholy 
work, against his neighbor or approaching traveler, 
may in the ways already explained, forewarn the 
latter of the danger and lead to safety. And so of 
the thousand other events of life, good or bad, fa- 
vorable or unfavorable. In accordance with the 
law in question, aided by the universal sphere of 
the other world, acting on the minds of mankind in 
this, the grandest results are constantly produced 
for the good and happiness of such as lend a willing 
acquiescence and obedience to the unselfish sugges- 
tions of their inner selves. 

FINAL. 

The subject treated of in the foregoing pages is 
one of vast importance and eternity alone will suffice 
for a full understanding of its entire meaning and 
extent. This humble and unpretending essay is 
offered merely as an introduction of the theme to 
the attention and study of the public and the world 
at large. 



APPENDIX. 

Since the preparation, mainly, of the previous essay 
for the press, the writer's attention has been called 
to the Reports of the " Society for Psychical Re- 
search" a body professedly organized "to investi- 
gate that large group of debatable phenomena des- 
ignated by such terms as mesmeric, psychical and 
Spiritualistic," The Society is largely composed 
of men of science, among the leading scholars of 
Great Britain, embracing Professor Sidgwick, of 
Trinity College, President, — Prof. Stewart, F.R. S., 
of Owens College, and some thirty other Vice Presi- 
dents and Council. The number of members is 
about three hundred in all, consisting largely of men 
of science, distinguished for their scholarship, as 
well as for their integrity of character and research. 
The objects of investigation are classified into 
six different divisions which are referred to sep- 
arate committees, whose duty it is to enquire 
into the phenomena coming within their respective 



The New Philosophy. 167 

range, and to report their results as to the actual 
nature and truth of facts alleged. "The aim of 
the Society is to approach these various problems 
without prejudice or prepossession of any kind." 
Such is their programme. 

The result of a little more than a single year's 
work has been a compilation of facts, to the num- 
ber of several hundred, which are reported as well 
attested and unquestionable, of the various kinds, 
such as come within the classes above alluded to 
and such as are treated of in Part I of this essay. 

We can not better report the result which the 
Society has arrived at, than by quoting their own 
language as contained in the address of the Presi- 
dent at one of their regular meetings. Alluding to 
the present state of public sentiment on the subject, 
he proceeds : 

"We are all agreed that the present state of things 
is a scandal to the enlightened age in which we live. 
That the dispute as to the reality of the marvelous 
phenomena — of which it is quite impossible to ex- 
aggerate the scientific importance, if only a tenth 
part of what has been alleged by generally credible 
witnesses could be shown to be true — I say it is a 
scandal that the dispute as to the reality of these 



1 68 The New Philosophy. 

phenomena should still be going on,— that so many 
competent witnesses should have declared their 
belief in them, that so many others should be pro- 
foundly interested in having the question determined, 
and yet that the educated world, as a body, should 
still be simply in the attitude of incredulity." 






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